Inspiration
The inspiration for SheConnect comes from my own journey in tech, which started when I was 15. As an absolute beginner, I often felt left out and longed for a community of women I could turn to for inspiration and support. I spent hours searching on social media and search engines for female-based communities that could support and motivate me, but I struggled to find one that resonated and was accessible. It made me wonder if the communities I was looking for even existed. As I connected with other women across fields like finance and healthcare, I realized these communities do exist. The struggle to find them, however, is common, as there’s a missing link in the search engines we rely on to locate them. We all needed communities that felt accessible and relevant to our careers. This is why I created SheConnect; to make it easier for women to find local communities that match their location, interests, and goals, communities they might not have easily discovered through a simple search.
What it does
SheConnect makes it easier for women to find communities that are otherwise hard to discover on search engines, while also helping those communities reach their target audience. SheConnect connects women to local groups that align with their interests, professions, and goals. Whether you’re looking for specific communities or just a network of like-minded women, SheConnect helps you find spaces that are not only empowering but also accessible.
How we built it
After developing the frontend, I focused on prompt engineering to ensure SheConnect would deliver accurate, valuable recommendations. I experimented extensively with different prompts using Google AI Studio, refining each version to improve the quality of responses. I also tested the prompt with real user data, gathering feedback to better understand user needs and make necessary adjustments. This iterative process allowed me to fine-tune the AI’s output, ensuring SheConnect can provide a personalized, empowering experience for every user.
Challenges we ran into
One big challenge was not being able to add the backend yet, which limited the full functionality I wanted to show. Another challenge was making sure the AI gave accurate and useful recommendations. Balancing the tech side with real user needs required constant tweaking and feedback. It took a lot of trial and error to get the prompts right and ensure the information was relevant and helpful.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- I built a user-friendly interface that is both intuitive and inviting, making it easy for users to find the support they need.
- Through extensive prompt engineering and refinement, I developed a solution that consistently delivers accurate, relevant recommendations.
- Testing with real users provided invaluable feedback, confirming that my approach resonates and meets their needs. These achievements reflect my commitment to creating a platform that genuinely empowers women in their professional and personal journeys.
What we learned
- I learned how to effectively use Google AI Studio, which was essential for refining SheConnect’s AI-driven recommendations.
- This process also deepened my understanding of the challenges women face in finding supportive communities, and inspiring ideas for future features that can better serve their needs. This experience has not only strengthened my technical skills but also reinforced my commitment to making SheConnect a meaningful resource.
What's next for SheConnect
- Next, I’ll be focusing on completing the backend to make SheConnect fully functional.
- I’ll also create a comprehensive database to store all the communities by spending time sourcing and scraping data from the web to keep the database up-to-date.
- Finally, I plan to evolve SheConnect into a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) app, enhancing it with reliable, effective, and contextually aware AI-powered systems to improve data sourcing and accuracy.
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