Learning Lab
Where we gave builders disproportionate advantage in making AI Apps that people want
About
Goal
Learning lab is a 10-day closed door, mentorship-based incubator program for ambitious builders where MyShell's core team will be providing on-time, personalized guidance for a week. We give developers a disproportionate advantage to succeed at building something great and succeeding at MyShell.
We help developers to master Pro Config and make AI Apps that people want.
Logistics & Facts
Timeline: Learning Lab operates on a 10 day schedule. The upcoming one starts on May 6th, and you can find more details about the agenda on "Developer Journey" Section.
Location: At our Genesis Pass Incubator discord, if you're selected you will be invited into our learning lab private channel.
Modality: There will be no scheduled calls or meetings involved as we understand developers came from very different time zones (there will be ad hoc AMA session and 1-on-1 Office Hour with mentors). It will mainly be discord chatting.
Size & Mentorship Availability: The student-faculty ratio is 1:7, meaning there will be 50 developers, 10 product manager, with 7 MyShell team members.
Cost: 100% Free
Sign-up Access: Check "Application Form" Section in this doc.
Criteria:
Activeness: this is an extremely valuable opportunity as the seats are very limited. We do require active commitment to learning lab. A display of lack of activeness will be result in a kicking out from learning lab.
App Making Competency: There are two type of competency considered and you need to master at least one
Programming Skills: basic understanding of programming logic, familiarity with Javascript is a plus.
Product Ideation: has a solid AI App/Bot idea, know the target audience, clearly understand why your idea is a better solution than the current one on the market
Genesis Pass & Post-Lab Funding: Candidates who built a top-class App during Learning Lab will be funded a Genesis Pass, which is an NFT currently valued 2K USD on OpeaSea. MyShell's ecosystem is backed by a creator economy where you App usage will be directly rewarded financially, which makes publishing Apps at MyShell a lucrative privilege. Only Genesis Pass holders has the privilege to publish Apps at MyShell.
How To Participate
Who Should Apply
Eligibility：
Time Commitment: Participants are expected to dedicate approximately 1-3 hours daily to activities in the Learning Lab. While daily online presence is not mandatory, commitment to this time frame is crucial, particularly for team collaborations.
Speak (or Type) Fluent English
Tracks : you can participate in different tracks in Learning Lab
Product Manager Track (PM): Participants will collaborate with developers, focusing on product ideation. Responsibilities include articulating the product vision, defining the potential audience, and clearly communicating the product outline to developers.
Developer Track (Dev): Participants will work closely with PMs, taking the lead on the technical aspects post-ideation. This involves communicating development constraints and progress effectively with the PMs you are partnered with.
Builder Track: You're a team on your own. This track is designed for solo participants who will ideate and build their own AI app independently.
Sign-up as Team or Individual
As Team: Participants are encouraged to register with a friend, particularly if one is pursuing the PM track and the other the Developer track. This facilitates smoother commencement of the building phase by reducing the initial time spent on team formation.
As Individual:
If you're in PM/Dev Track: You will spend some time to find your teammates and confirm your interest in working with them. For specifics, refer to Find Teammates section.
If you're in Builder Track: You're a team on your own. Start building from the beginning.
Application Form
The upcoming batch starts on May 6th, Morning, PST, and ends at May 15th, night, PST. In total, we will accept 60 candidates.
Selection Notification: Please join our Genesis Pass Incubator discord, and MyShell Staff will DM you in private message, generally 24 hour before learning lab starts, please check. Application Link: Go To This Form
Developer Journey
Familiarize with Pro Config
If you're new to Pro Config, please go through the tutorial doc, or check out our Youtube for introductory content. We have prepared abundant resources for everyone to learn, even if you're not a programmer!
Post Ideas & Find Teammates
For PM Track & Builder Track Participants:
We are inviting all PM track participants to submit their application ideas via our Idea Forum channel. Here, you will have the opportunity to pitch your concept akin to a startup CEO presenting to potential co-founders. For Builder Track participants you will also need to do this step for MyShell staff to review your ideas. Your presentation should address the following key points clearly:
Idea Summary: Provide a concise one-sentence description of your app. What experience/solution does it intends to offer?
Potential Use Case: Explain why your app is a better option compared to existing market offerings. Briefly, why should people choose your app?
Feasibility Assessment: Discuss the practicality of your app idea developing by Pro Config. Identify the widgets necessary for the app's development (there will be a Pro Config helper bot assisting you to answer this question)
Design Blueprint: Create and submit a product diagram or flowchart using tools such as Excalidraw. This should detail the app's architecture and user interface process. Reference diagrams are available in our Discord for guidance.
For Developer Track:
Participants in the Developer track are required to introduce themselves in the Learning Lab, showcasing their development skills. Your task is to demonstrate your capability to bring PM track candidates' ideas to fruition.
More importantly, you must engage with the PMs to ensure optimal partnership compatibility. Past experiences have shown that mismatched teams at the start significantly reduce the chances of securing the Genesis Pass. Effective communication and team synergy are essential for success in this endeavor. If a developer didn't find any ideal product they want to build during this period, developers can choice to work on ideas provided by MyShell staff. However, the bot quality demand for those bots would be generally higher than other bots, so prioritize to pick ideas from the community. Important Note:
From past experience, we strongly recommend one developer only work on one bot during learning lab and aiming to perfect it. Because Genesis Pass selection is based on bot quality, not number of bots made, spending the lab time perfecting one bot generally yield a much higher success rate. Each PM can work on 2-3 bots with 2-3 developers, as the developer generally takes a heavier workload.
Idea check-in & Midterm Review
At Day 5, we will require all participants to do a check-in with assigned mentor. The idea check-in will operate per bot, not per person. You will only do check-in for the bot that you decided to work on. For example, if one PM is in charge of 3 bots, then they will participate in all 3 bot idea check-ins.
During the session, which can occur during mentor office hours or via Discord direct messages, participants should present a well-developed app ideation proposal and a working minimum viable product (MVP) of their bot. The mentors will provide technical support for bot architecture and suggest improvements for the product. This is a crucial step to ensure the bots are on track and meeting the project's objectives.
Demo Day
At Day 10, when learning lab closes, every bot must conduct a showcase in learning lab, and the showcase material needs to be prepared by the bot contributors.
An ideal bot showcase should involve:
Concise description of this bot. What it is, who's the target audience, and what kind of experience/solution does it trying to offer, and why it is something people want.
A one-minute (or longer) screen recording playing with this bot, demonstrating its key features.
Bot link where everyone can click in and try.
Genesis Pass Selection Criteria (Tentative)
Genesis Pass selection will take a point system. Participants can earn points based on each bot they contributed on building. The bar for earning one Genesis Pass is 100 points, two for 200 points, and so on. If by the end participants ended up having surplus points, it would be converted to Shell Coins as rewards respectively. For example, if one participant gets 120 points, then they will be issued one Genesis Pass and Shell Coins that are equivalent to 20 points. High Quality Bots:
Full completion; clearly provided a better experience/solution to the market alternative; excellent user experience.
PM: 60 points
Developer: 100 points
Builder: 120 points
Medium Quality Bots:
Full completion or at least 90% completed; has potential to reach for high quality bots yet still have many parts that can be optimized.
PM: 40 points
Developer: 50 points
Builder: 70 points
Low Quality Bots
Lower than 90% completion; lack innovation; provides a boring or bad user experience.
Contributors get 0 points.
Studio Program
The MyShell Creator Studio Program is an extension of the LearningLab as a community-driven initiative designed to foster growth, creativity, and collaboration within the Creator Community. This program enables experienced creators to lead by example, providing guidance and resources to up-and-coming talent within the community.
Creator Economy
Please refer to our Tokenomics page.
History & Spotlights
Past Learning Lab Spotlights
There are many epic bots (Game, Productivity, Education, etc) that were produced in past learning labs. Please check this collection for some reference, and it is also a great way for you to learn the power of Pro Config.
Past Learning Lab Data
Note: the bar of Genesis Pass selection increase as we move forward with more batches
Learning Lab Batch I
Time: March 25 - 31
Admission Rate: 63 application received, 30 candidates selected, admission rate is 47%
Genesis Pass Rate: 13 candidates, winning rate is 43%
Learning Lab Batch II
Time: April 8 - 14
Admission Rate: 107 application received, 30 candidates selected, admission rate is 28%
Genesis Pass Rate: 16 candidates, winning rate is 53%
Learning Lab Batch III
Time: April 22 - 28
Admission Rate: 162 application received, 30 candidates selected, admission rate is 18.5%
Genesis Pass Rate: 14 candidates, winning rate is 47%
Learning Lab Batch IV : Incoming....
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