SpeakBoost Team

Aditi - As one of the technical leads, Aditi played a crucial role in creating and integrating the AI model with the website. Her expertise in full-stack development ensured that the platform was not only functional but also seamless in terms of user experience. Aditi's passion for solving real-world problems through technology inspired her to create a tool that is both intuitive and impactful. Her personal struggle with public speaking in school motivated her to build a platform that could help others overcome similar challenges.

Aditya - Also a technical lead, was instrumental in developing the AI model that powers SpeakBoost. His deep understanding of Python, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and AI frameworks allowed us to create a robust and scalable product. Aditya's calm demeanor and technical knowledge equipped us to confidently address questions about the product's functionality during pitches. He also initiated our first pitch, establishing the tone for how we presented SpeakBoost to the world.

Jenish - Brought a strategic mindset to the team, concentrating on market research, customer discovery, and business strategy. His ability to analyze data and identify market gaps was critical in refining our target audience and value proposition. Jenish also played a key role in conducting user interviews and gathering feedback, ensuring that SpeakBoost met real user needs.

Together, we combined our unique skills and perspectives to develop a product that addresses a critical market need.

Before diving into development, we conducted a literature review in which each team member analyzed research papers to identify gaps and potential research questions. This process helped us better understand the existing landscape and refine our vision for SpeakBoost. We recognized the need for a real-time speech improvement tool, which laid the foundation for our product.

We began by identifying potential users who would benefit most from SpeakBoost. After extensive research, we focused on: Language learners, Language coaching institutes, Podcast creators, Immigrants, Early-career professionals, and HR managers.

Ultimately, we decided to target language coaching institutes and podcast creators as our primary market. However, during our interviews with podcast creators, we discovered that SpeakBoost was better suited for individuals seeking to learn and practice language skills. Podcast creators, in contrast, were more interested in tools that facilitated research rather than speech improvement. This insight prompted us to refine our focus, prioritizing language coaching institutes as our main target market.

Effective spoken communication is crucial in various fields, yet tools designed to improve it are often limited. Language learners struggle with fluency, pronunciation, and confidence, while professionals seek to refine their tone and delivery. SpeakBoost was created to address these challenges. By providing real-time feedback and structured learning modules, we aimed to make language learning and speech refinement accessible and effective.

We designed SpeakBoost with several key features to address the pain points of our users:

Real-Time Analysis: Users receive instant feedback on their speech, enabling quick improvements. Personalized Learning Modules: Custom-tailored exercises adapt to individual user needs and progress. Grammatical Feedback: The platform identifies errors and suggests corrections for better articulation. Tone and Delivery Assessment: Users receive insights into their speech patterns, helping them refine their communication style. Pace and Filler Word Detection: SpeakBoost assists users in controlling their speech rate and reducing unnecessary fillers for clearer communication. Scenario-Based Learning: Users engage in real-world conversational scenarios to practice their communication skills in practical settings.

These features combined make SpeakBoost a powerful tool for anyone seeking to enhance their spoken communication.

One of the most daunting yet rewarding experiences of our journey was pitching SpeakBoost for the first time. Aditya initiated the pitch by clearly explaining the problem and our solution. To prepare, we employed several strategies:

Mock Pitches: We practiced multiple times in front of our mentors and peers, incorporating their feedback to improve our presentation. Storytelling: We structured our pitch around a relatable story—Aditi's personal struggle with public speaking. This approach allowed us to connect emotionally with the audience. Anticipating Questions: We brainstormed potential questions and prepared concise, confident answers to address them.

Despite our preparation, nerves still got the better of us. Since our product focuses on improving communication, the irony wasn't lost on us as we fumbled with our words. However, we learned a significant lesson: we had underestimated ourselves. With each presentation, we grew more confident and refined our pitch, ensuring we effectively communicated SpeakBoost's value.

Another critical learning experience emerged when we finalized our first co-developer. Eager to move forward, we revealed our pricing model too soon, structuring the deal in a way that left us with almost no profit. As a result, the deal ultimately fell through. This misstep became a crucial learning opportunity; it highlighted the importance of valuing our work appropriately and negotiating better terms. When the time came for our next partnership, we were far more prepared and secured a deal that was fair to both parties and sustainable for our growth.

While working on SpeakBoost, we also researched the market to understand who else is addressing this problem. Key players in the space include:

Grammarly – Focuses on written communication but has recently ventured into spoken feedback. Orai – A speech coaching app that provides feedback on pacing, filler words, and tone. ELSA Speak – Specializes in pronunciation training for English learners. Speechify – A text-to-speech tool that helps users improve their listening and speaking skills.

While these tools are effective, they often concentrate on specific aspects of communication. SpeakBoost stands out by offering comprehensive, real-time feedback that addresses multiple pain points simultaneously.

After much reflection, we recognized that the core value of SpeakBoost lies in its real-time feedback feature & Scenario based learning. While features like grammatical feedback and tone assessment are important, they are secondary. Users would still rely on SpeakBoost for its ability to provide immediate, actionable insights into their speech, effectively addressing their main pain point.