2024: Bringing an idea to life
Four months ago we launched Sylla. Following a year of preparatory work, tinkering and many conversations with our pilot partners we felt ready and opened it up to the wider sector. In 2024 we entered the real world, ready to engage more widely with HigherEd and educators, exploring whether we could help them save precious time and costs. Here we briefly look back on these first couple months and our progress since.
From idea to ‘real-world’ feedback
Developing the idea of Sylla together with two university libraries, their staff and educators who have a deep understanding of the workings of the education sector has been extremely helpful. It helps to get a clear picture of the problem(s) to be solved, how these are not getting solved today and most importantly how they might be solved in future.
Still, as with any new idea and no matter how well prepared, its potential will be rigorously put to the test in the real world. Where attention and resources are scarce and problems are plentiful.
“How does this help me?” ‘’Can you add X?’’ ‘’Are you using AI?’’
These months have been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride: ranging from individuals being extremely excited about Sylla, its potential and how new ideas and technology can be used for good, to skepticism around whether it can really make a difference.
Most of all, it has been a lot of fun and the results from this first phase are exciting and motivating for what’s to come still:
Cost savings: We have helped Coventry University realise a cost saving of about 100,000 EUR per year in a few months time.
Time savings: One of our latest pilots showed using Sylla resulted in a time-saving of 60% for library staff compared to their existing workflows, making a real difference (case study forthcoming).
Wider engagement: Many new conversations with Universities and educators in North America, Africa, the UK & Australia. With new pilots, learnings and building blocks being added along the way.
While healthy skepticism around new AI solutions exists and critical questions are being asked around its use, there is widespread willingness to embrace it. Provided its application serves the interests and needs of libraries, educators and students.
Looking ahead - from an idea with potential to solving real problems at scale
2024 has been an exciting start for us here. One in which the constructive feedback and support we have received from librarians, educators, publishers and students has been highly motivating. Finding the right people, open to new ideas and willing to share their honest feedback is one of the key challenges. We are pleased to have found good people during these first months and appreciate the energy, thought and trust they’ve put into this so far.
There is a lot of work ahead of us here for 2025, developing Sylla from a product with potential to a mature solution solving real problems for libraries & educators at scale - we’re excited to take it on.
