onTrack

Inspiration

Goals typically are set out of deep desires. However, starting to work on a goal takes a lot of effort, not to speak of pursuing it long-term. Despite being aware that they set goals for a good reason, many people fail at achieving them. A strong reason for failure is the lack of pressure. Keeping the status quo happens to be an acceptable situation for many. For example, not learning how to play guitar does not decrease life quality. Consequently, we came up with a new way of applying pressure to achieve diligent work towards goals. Money is a strong incentive as people are typically afraid of losing it. Additionally, social proof boosts diligence as the goal-pursuing person cannot approve his/her achievements himself/herself.

What it does

The goal-taker chooses a specific and quantifiable goal, ideally as well as sub-goals. For example, “I want to go to the gym at least ten times within the next two months”. He also needs to set a deadline by which the goal needs to be reached. He pays an amount of his choice that should have some significance in case it got lost. Afterwards, the goal-taker starts working towards the goal. Once, he/she reaches a sub-goal, proof needs to be uploaded to the platform. Proof needs to be handed in in an appropriate form, for example for playing the guitar a video of playing a song seems to be suitable. The use of location and time codes is optional but increases the credibility of a proof. The proof will be sent to seven community members that confirm/disconfirm the achievement. If at least five people confirm it, the predefined payout for achieving the sub-goal is paid back to the user. As the goal-taker reaches more and more sub-goals, the accumulated payouts increase. If he/she reaches all sub-goals or the total goal (in case not sub-goals are set) before the deadline, the complete initial amount paid has been earned so that effectively no costs arise for the goal-taker. If the goal-taker doesn’t reach all the sub-goals before the deadline, the initial amount minus the reached payouts are kept in. onTrack will keep a percentage of the amount kept in and donate the rest of the money to charity.
After the deadline, the user can leave a review about his experience so that other people considering to attempt a similar goal can get inspired.

How we built it

The onTrack commitment platform leverages blockchain based smart contract technology.Our design process involved carefully thinking about user stories, case scenarios and ways in which our solution will add value to a user’s life. Naturally, this involved severals rounds of trimming the fat and sticking to the core, important features that provide a flexible and intuitive experience to a variety of users.In terms of technology, the platform is currently hosted on a local Ethereum test net, and the smart contracts are written in Solidity. Our front end is engineered using simple web technologies so that we had more time to focus on the design and architecture.The reason we use blockchain, rather than trusted third party server is to afford users a trustless, auditable solution to be sure that the system will act honestly and their money is safe. Further, by using blockchain, we can minimise platform costs, eliminate middle-men and allow the community to thrive and sustain itself. This further enables our users to stay onTrack.

Challenges we ran into

We did not have a designer in the team which caused some difficulties and ultimately required those with back end development skills to take on additional front end tasks also.

Accomplishments that we’re proud of

Building a functional MVP, that leverages blockchain based smart contract technology, in only 24 hours. Maintaining a stable stomach after the consumption of a wide variety of carbonated drinks.

What we learned

With only limited time, a group of strangers with a common interest can generate and bring to life some incredible ideas!

What's next for onTrack

In time, onTrack will adopt a number of new features such as a space where users can interact with one another and share tips for success. Furthermore, to ensure business continuity, we will develop a fee structure relative to the magnitude of all failed pledges.