Ka-Ching!

Inspiration

We wanted a practical assistant that respects your time by turning plain‑English tasks into real calendar blocks. Ka‑Ching helps you plan realistically so intentions become follow‑through. The entire process is gamified through a series of XP rewards to incentivize productivity and consistency using the app.

What it does

Ka‑Ching parses a to‑do request, estimates how long it will take, and finds the first available slot within your working hours. It returns a clear summary and the scheduled start/end window.

How we built it

The backend is Python (FastAPI) with a lightweight scheduling core. We use Gemini for natural‑language parsing and duration estimation, and a simple interval algorithm to find free time between events. Configuration is via environment variables for easy local runs.

Challenges we ran into

Estimating task duration from short prompts while avoiding over/under‑booking required careful prompt design. Handling time zones and inconsistent calendar formats (ISO strings) made interval math tricky. We also streamlined Windows/PowerShell ergonomics for local development.

Accomplishments that we’re proud of

A clean, minimal API that turns text tasks into actionable calendar entries end‑to‑end. Robust parsing and scheduling logic with sensible defaults and clear outputs.

What we learned

Keep the surface area small: fewer moving parts make the system more reliable and debuggable. Good defaults (working hours, start points) reduce friction and help users adopt the flow quickly.

What’s next for Ka‑Ching!

• Optional tool integration (e.g., news/context fetch) gated behind a reliable interface.
• Calendar provider sync and persistence.
• Smarter, learnable duration estimates and a richer UI for previewing and tweaking scheduled blocks.

Built With

• fastapi
• google-gemini
• python
• react
• serpapi
• typescript
• vite