The End of the Journey

The beauty of a challenge is that we always learn something new and come out better and stronger than before. The main deliverable of our project was to increase the user number of the social media platform from forty to a thousand within one and a half months’ time. Bringing the user number close to the target, we delivered the project successfully despite challenges by giving our best efforts, continuously collaborating, and supporting one another.

This was a simple yet arduous task that no one knew how to do well. It sounds so simple that people think it only takes reaching out to people, and they will sign up instantly. It is both yes and no. At some point after reaching out to everyone in our network and community, we literally had to beg and spam people several times a day until they signed up. A lot of people say they will sign up out of courtesy, but never actually take the time to fill out the form and complete their registration. Walking the walk and talking the talk is not a piece of cake. Regarding this, one of the largest obstacles that frustrated us was the ineffective registration process of the platform, which asked people to activate through a link that they receive in their e-mails. After clicking through the link, they had to respond to the same registration questions all over again, which was a lengthy process where we had to guide users through. This was also where we were losing a great deal of our potential users who promised to sign up but eventually ghosted. The experience made me understand that selling any product to a user is never as easy as it looks. It takes unwavering determination and countless failures to hit a target number, and every one user counts in this regard.

Luckily, building relationships with the client was not demanding as they were not only responsive but also supportive of our actions and efforts. We had weekly online calls and always reported the progress of our project to the client and addressed issues regarding the platform so that they could adopt the necessary changes within the project timeline. Moreover, we had a chance to meet the client in person, which was definitely a great opportunity to strengthen relationships with the client and learn more about their work. Our client was open to personal questions and freely offered his advice on various interesting topics. This exciting meeting with the client ended with him inviting us and our Columbia community to an exclusive event on financial inclusion at the UN Headquarters. After coordinating the event, many of our SIPA and wider Columbia community thanked our team for this opportunity and coordination activities. Thus, we believe that our project also benefited not only us but also other students as well.

As I reflect on the project, it was most certainly a well-worth journey that enriched my graduate school experience in so many ways. Working on an unexpected project pushed me out of my comfort zone as I approached strangers in cafes and public places and tried to sell a social media platform that had no major contents and values inside. I am sure that I am walking away from the project with better sales skills and the courage to dive into something that pushes me out of my limits. More importantly, I have learnt a great deal from my team members, who had not only diverse skillsets but also different personalities and quirks. Our teamwork taught us to work out our differences to the point that differences assimilate into similarities in the end.

At the end of this journey, I am grateful for this class that provided me with an excellent opportunity to grow professionally and personally and collaborate with amazing teammates, classmates, and clients. Most importantly, I would like to thank Prof. Caroline for providing us the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and take on challenges. I am sure that we all nailed the projects and moved closer to our goals and aspirations.