SideSpark started with a conversation

In September, I joined the ChatGPT Sites Hackathon in Singapore. The room had laptops on every table, a screen waiting for demos, and people turning conversations into things they could show. SideSpark began in one of those conversations.

Talking before building

Benny and I started talking about connections at work. You can spend years in the same office as someone and still know little about them beyond their team or job title. People have skills to share and interests in common, but the working day tends to keep us inside familiar circles.

As we talked, the idea became smaller and more practical. A coffee break could be enough to meet someone. A short walk could give two colleagues a reason to talk. Fifteen minutes at a desk could be enough to share a useful trick. We shaped the concept around those ordinary moments and called it SideSpark.

The concept

SideSpark helps coworkers meet through short shared activities, or “sidequests”. Someone can choose Skill Swap to learn or share something practical, or Social Connect to get to know a colleague. Then they pick a break that fits their day: Coffee, Walk, Lunch, or a 15-minute Desk Break.

SideSpark makes the first step easier. You have a reason to meet, a little common ground, and something to do together. Sharing an Excel shortcut, practising a presentation, or finding a new lunch companion can all be a useful starting point.

Making the idea work on screen

Then I had to make the whole journey work on screen. After choosing a break, you share a few details, meet a demo sidekick, and get a short activity or conversation starter. When you finish, a Spark Card keeps a small record of what you did or learned.

I wanted both choices to lead somewhere. Skill Swap had to offer a real exchange, and Social Connect had to help two people begin talking. The bright colours and playful cards gave it energy, but the words and choices still needed to make sense without an explanation beside the screen.

The people inside this first version are clearly labelled examples. SideSpark does not look inside a company directory, and anything you save stays in your browser. You can try the idea without handing over work or personal information.

I also made a short film to show what SideSpark could feel like during an ordinary workday: meeting over coffee, walking together, or sharing something useful at a desk.

The discussions were part of it

I enjoyed the movement between building and talking. Benny and I could work through the concept, then bring it into the wider conversations happening around us. Explaining an unfinished idea forces you to find words people understand. Hearing another person describe it back can tell you where the idea is clear and where it still needs work.

The hackathon gave us a place to meet, discuss, make something, and show it. SideSpark brings a small version of that into an ordinary working day, where two coworkers can meet, talk and do something together.

The next step is to put it in front of more people and learn which shared breaks they would genuinely choose, and what would make that first conversation feel comfortable.