June 2021 Summaries

The author is using Nix to build a derivation in a way that allows them to automatically generate the version of their tool based on the commit short SHA of the code repository. The process involves copying the entire repository, including the `.git` directory, into a temporary location, running `git rev-parse --short HEAD` within that context, and then using the result as the version number. After several attempts and iterations, they were able to successfully build the derivation with dynamic versioning using Nix's `copyPathToStore`, `runCommand`, and other functions. The final code leverages these functions to achieve this goal, which is a significant improvement over manual editing of the default.nix file. The author notes that while this journey was challenging, they learned valuable lessons about Nix's language features, such as its lazy evaluation and the importance of understanding how derivations work.

Kobra is a visual programming language for machine learning that aims to make it accessible to anyone, not just programmers. The team behind Kobra wants to remove barriers of entry and make machine learning more exciting and less abstract. They've developed a block-based editor with features like data visualization, a dataset manager, and an easy-to-use library of machine learning models. A community site allows users to share projects and experiment with others', fostering motivation and learning. The team is now launching Kobra as a beta and plans to focus on shipping additional features in 2-week sprints while expanding the audience and achieving better product-market fit.

I attended the RESPECT conference last month, where I heard from CS educators and researchers about equity in CS education. The focus was on providing tools and best practices to engage minoritized groups in CS. Replit aims to give people coding superpowers by creating a powerful and accessible platform for every step of their journey. Dr. Amy J. Ko discussed the history of computing cultures and offered a vision of a vibrant multiplicity of CS cultures that engage with people from diverse interests and experiences. Replit provides structures like multiplayer and Teams for Education, which define CS education as collaborative and supportive. The platform also supports culturally responsive pedagogy by personalizing project code to meet individual students' needs. By modeling productive persistence and giving users agency, Replit encourages creation and active role-taking in the development process.

Nisawa is an on-demand, last-mile delivery service designed to enable businesses in African cities to reliably deliver goods to their customers. The company uses a fleet of professional, well-equipped delivery drivers and tech infrastructure to navigate the challenges of informal delivery methods, such as relying on individual motorbike taxi drivers. By using mobile and web applications, Nisawa allows businesses to pinpoint exact locations for deliveries, track packages, and dispatch drivers efficiently. With a focus on business partnerships, continuous improvement, and expansion into other cities in Africa, Nisawa aims to create a reliable delivery infrastructure that will support the growth of e-commerce, food and grocery delivery, and other related services in the region.

Our startup, PetCode, initially struggled with focus and a clear target, but after working with Replit Ventures (RV0), we realized the importance of extreme focus and solving a specific pain point for our users. We pivoted our product to focus on providing peace of mind regarding pet safety and introduced features that enhance this core function, such as shelter notifications. This shift has led to higher conversion rates, increased ROI from marketing efforts, and a clearer understanding of our value proposition. With a sharpened focus and a clear target, we're now ready to drive our product into the world and provide a safer pet management experience for millions of pet owners.

Tech Roulette is a free online game created by Execute Big, a non-profit organization, in partnership with Replit Ventures. The game aims to introduce students to various fields of technology, enabling them to explore and imagine their future in tech without limitations. It features random projects each week, ranging from hardware to data science, and offers community-wide speaker sessions and mentorship opportunities. The game was developed by a small team of three members, including the founders of Execute Big, who are also students themselves. They aim to make an impact on the next generation of makers, entrepreneurs, and engineers.