Story of the 2010 Sri Lankan Finalists

Dreams meet the Reality

USCS always had a major influence on the Sri Lankan Imagine Cup finals. In year 2006 among the 5 Sri
Lankan finalist teams 4 teams were from UCSC, yet we couldn’t make it. Although we did not have
firsthand experience on that incident we knew the enthusiasm within the UCSC community in year 2007
about imagine Cup was pretty low. It was on this note our journey started.

It was a long “Journey”!! Yet one of the greatest journeys we enjoyed without a hint of tiredness.

Start of a Journey – Imagine Cup 2007

Well this “Journey” is not about the journey

to the Imagine Cup world finals at Warsaw,
Poland in 2010, but the real journey behind
it which we started in 2007 when we were
1st year students of UCSC.

It was just an ordinary day at UCSC when

some of our seniors came to the place
where we sat and told us to go to the
auditorium since there are not enough
people in the auditorium to listen to some
speaker who has come from MS Sri Lanka.

We went and the session which was about

Imagine Cup 2007.The title of the first slide
said that It is a software development
completion, and it was enough for us not to
listen to the speaker where we really felt we are not capable enough at that time of the life to develop a
software to compete in such an international event. For that reason, we lost the interest of the
presentation.
But, towards the end, there was a slide which listed down the other categories of Imagine Cup. It had
“Short Films” as one of the categories and speaker said visit the site for more details. Yes we did visit,
and found out that it is something we could at least give a try.

We formed a team “Creepasoides”, and started to develop a concept. No sooner another set of our
friends got interested and they also formed a team “Team Tear”. Both teams submitted the proposals
and bingo!! For the first ever time in Sri Lankan Imagine Cup history there were 3 teams from Sri Lanka
in the world best 30 short film concepts and our two teams were among them too. This is where the
journey towards imagine cup world finals started. Team Tear went to the world finals at Seoul Korea.

Journey Continues – Imagine Cup 2008 and 2009

In year 2008 we were in 2nd year and we were having some idea on how we should be developing
software and how we should market it. The excitement from the previous year made us more motivated
and two teams “EC” and “Eco” submitted proposals for the software development category and both
got selected to Sri Lankan finals.

Presenting on the Sri Lankan finals was a challenge to both of our teams yet we put up a real great show
although we couldn’t make it to the world finals. We did not give up.!!

In year 2009 again we were among the 6 Sri Lankan finalist teams and that time we could make UCSC
grab the title of “Runners up” although we missed the chance of making it to World finals in Cairo Egypt
by just few inches. So from year 2007 up to 2009 we made a gradual improvement. We heard lot of
stories on this long way, but nothing could ever let our motivation down since the only thing inside our
minds was, let’s do it this time, if we win, we will be flying, and if we lose the experience will count.
Imagine Cup 2010 – Where experience came in to play

2010, there came the year of strategic game planning. With all the experience we had after being active
competitors for 3 consecutive years, the 4th year was truly a year of making use of those experiences.
The thinking pattern of the competition the judging pattern, the good and bad, risks and rewards, all
were considered in detail to attack the 2010 game..But yet the main motivation factor was the
excitement of participation.

The start of the competition was not smooth as we wanted, because the time we had in coming up with
a new idea and preparing a proposal was not enough at all. But Hasini did a marvelous job in coming up
with a super different concept and documenting it in the best way we could. As always it was a last
minute submission but, we were not surprised to see our team name “Collectivists” in the Sri Lankan
finals list since it was not the first time we saw it there. 

But, the challenge was huge with another two of our own UCSC groups, but the experience came in to
play. We planned a lot as well as committed ourselves a lot to enhance our solution, yet to present the
most important aspects during the given short time.

This is a lesson we learnt and It is a point to share generously, don’t ever try to show every single
feature of the solution in a presentation, be strategic to convince the concept and the overall flow of
the functionality. Then people will automatically feel the importance of each small feature you have.

Imagine Cup 2010 Finals !!!

We made Imagine Cup Sri Lankan finals 2010; one of the coolest places to be since the pressure of
winning was not there. It was all about putting up a good show. .We did the presentation well and
the day ended with the title “Sri Lankan Winners” on the head along with a free ticket to Poland. 

As most of you think this is not the end. This is the start of the most tedious part of the journey.
Enhancing the solution to match with world class solutions, making it’s a full functioning solution and
again making the best presentation to present in front of a global audience were all challenges we
enjoyed amidst the tired research life we had in the university. But the experience gathered through
developing a world class solution and meeting people of world caliber are never ever to be forgotten.

So at last with everything up and ready on hand, it was an awesome journey to the Europe experiencing
the cream of technology, sharing the same room with global friends, and experiencing a true world
event. These are memories that will be there forever and the value added to life through being an
Imagine Cup World Finalist is astonishing.
 Imagine Cup 2011 - Are YOU ready?

Imagine Cup 2011 is on the way. And bang! It’s USA this time. Who would let the chance of visiting
New York that easily? Gear up, get the best fit in to teams, brainstorm, it may not be a huge solution,
but yet build up on the smallest concepts you have. Polish it and communicate it in the best way you
can. I am sure there are more tips we can share for the on stage presentation later. Jump over the first
hurdle in style.

Cheers!!! And all the best!!

As we always say “Think out of the BOX, you will be in to the CUP”

Hasini Adhikari
Team Collectivists
Gayan Garusinghe
Imagine Cup 2010 World Finalist Chanaka Upendra
Software Design Sudam Liyanage