MeTeech #10 - I’m stuck!
“What’s going on with that project you’re doing?” This is a question that I’ve been asked a lot since I started things with MeTeech. I have made progress since the beginning and the answers I give certainly change but now, I feel I’ve been giving the same response for a long time now. The truth is: I’m stuck!
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I’m stuck!
As a little recap, I think it’s best, that I outline what MeTeech aims to provide as a product:
MeTeech aims to connect students to the best of the best in online educational resources. On our web platform, users can create a post about a study-resource with a rating of how helpful it was to them. These posts are added to a searchable database and categorised with tags so that other users can find these resources.
This pitch has certainly changed as I have come to understand exactly what it is that MeTeech requires to function. Here are some previous thoughts I had:
A MeTeech Mistake:
Meteech needs to run like a social media site.
I had in my mind a place that was similar to Facebook where people could post about anything study-related and I could then somehow create a searchable library out of this. This is far too complex for me to tackle and far beyond the primary function of MeTeech, which is to: “Connect students to the best online study resources.”
I spent nearly £150 pounds on a WordPress plug-in just for the purpose of creating a site that has social media functionality. I think I was putting the cart before the horse there.
MeTeech Solutions
What I should do is strip the site down to its basic function: a searchable database (that users can edit). Student Crowd is the perfect example of a website like this. Studentcrowd.com is a review site for university accommodations across the UK. It collates reviews from students who have lived in those areas and displays them in such a helpful manner. How do I make a website like that?
Luckily, it seems as if fortune has smiled upon me: The CEO of Student Crowd, a man called Paul Humphreys is a Loughborough University graduate. (That’s the university that I am studying at right now.) In fact, he even gave a talk on campus around July last year, which I had the privilege of attending. It would be of immense value to me if I am able to contact Paul.
Even if I am unable to receive help from Paul, my revised plan will be much more achievable than previously.
The main problem left is money. I do not have the expertise to build a database on my own, so I will most likely need to pay for a plug-in. I am currently waiting on some funding money but this will save me having to put my own wallet on the line.
Conclusions
I have realised again and again that I didn’t pick something easy to accomplish in building MeTeech. However, going back to the drawing board and reassessing MeTeech’s priorities has definitely helped me regain control when I get stuck.
