Manal Rayess, the brain behind Startup Weekend Dubai’s winning web and mobile app KidzWeekend, shares how she came up with the winning concept.
“The idea of KidzWeekend first hit my mind when I had to plan for an enjoyable, memorable, and nurturing weekend for my four-year-old kid. I started a Twitter account (@KidzWeekend) to track and spread news about relevant activities, events, and places.
The concept got even more mature when I wanted to relate my daughter’s weekend rewards with extra good manners or competency that she developed over the week. I was just waiting for the right time and right people to work with me on this. When I heard of Startup Weekend, I registered immediately.
Within my one-minute slot I pitched the idea with all the passion I had and I concluded by saying: “I promised my kid that I will make up for this weekend I am spending away from her by coming back with a winning project that will give her joy for the rest of our happy weekends”.
I was lucky to have a team who shared passion and energy for the idea. With the complementary skills we have and the invaluable feedback we got from the mentors, we were able to turn this idea into a well-developed concept that won us first place in the competition in just 54 hours. It was an amazing experience, but the real journey is just about to start!”
For more info – KidzWeekend on Facebook, KidzWeekend on Twitter
