Sometimes the best startup stories do not begin with a polished business plan, a big team, or months of preparation. Sometimes they begin with a few students, a rough idea, a very short deadline, and a lot of nerves.
In Episode 43 we meet Nay and Jack, two students from Myanmar studying at Chiang Mai University, who ended up winning the Nomad Summit Buildathon with their project SkillScoop.
This is not just a story about winning a competition. It is also a story about friendship, teamwork, pressure, improvisation, and what can happen when people from different backgrounds come together to build something in a very short amount of time.
If you enjoy stories about startups, student innovation, digital nomad events, or the creative chaos of building under pressure, this episode is well worth a listen.
From Myanmar to Chiang Mai
Before the Buildathon, before SkillScoop, and before the win, there is the story of how Nay and Jack ended up in the same place in the first place.
They are both from Myanmar, but they did not grow up together. As Jack explains in the episode, their connection started much more casually:
“We didn’t grow up. Grow up, no. We just met during the COVID…”
Both eventually found their way to the International School of Digital Innovation at Chiang Mai University, where students study together in English in an international environment that clearly encourages practical thinking as well as academic learning.
The recording itself takes place at the university, in a surprisingly impressive studio space that adds another layer to the story. This is not just a campus setting – it is a place where ideas are clearly meant to be built, tested, and shared.
What Is SkillScoop?
At the center of the episode is SkillScoop, the student-built idea that took first place at the Buildathon.
The concept is simple, practical, and easy to understand – which is often a sign of a good idea. It is a platform designed specifically for students, helping them use their skills, gain experience, and potentially earn income before they graduate.
As Jack puts it:
“It is an app that give the chance to the students to use their skills and to help each other before they graduate.”
That idea clearly resonated because it solves a real problem. Many students do part-time work that may pay the bills but does not necessarily help them build a future career. SkillScoop aims to bridge that gap by creating a platform where students can actually use what they are learning.
Why the Idea Stands Out
What makes SkillScoop interesting is that it is not trying to solve a vague, fashionable problem. It focuses on something very real – the lack of relevant opportunities for students who want experience before stepping into professional life.
It also has room to grow. While the team is starting with students in Thailand, the idea has obvious international potential, especially in environments where local and international students need to collaborate, translate, design, code, market, and support one another.
The Nomad Summit Buildathon Was Not Just Another Workshop
The episode also gives a nice look behind the scenes of the Nomad Summit Buildathon, which is presented as the practical, action-based side of the summit.
Instead of just listening to talks, participants had to form teams, develop ideas, build prototypes, and pitch them. That process brought together students, locals, and nomads – exactly the kind of cross-cultural collaboration the Nomad Summit wants to encourage.
That part of the event was supported by ShakeSphere, an innovative tech consulting and development agency that builds tech, startups or new digital businesses for major corporates and startups in Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
The Buildathon was not only about coming up with ideas. It was about turning those ideas into something tangible under real pressure.
A Surprise Waiting on Stage
One of the most entertaining parts of the episode is hearing just how unprepared the team felt when it came time to pitch.
They did not even fully realize what kind of stage they were about to step onto. Jack says:
“We thought like we are just gonna present like in a small room with the just students.”
That is not what happened.
Instead, they suddenly found themselves pitching in front of a crowd, after watching other strong teams deliver impressive presentations. It is easy to hear the nerves in the way they describe it.
“…this is a pitching time, I was like. Shaking. Yeah, really shaking. We didn’t prepare anything before.”
That moment alone makes the episode fun to listen to because it captures something universal – the feeling of being thrown into something bigger than expected and having to find your feet in real time.
From Strangers to Teammates
The Buildathon was not just about the core idea. It was also about team formation, and this is where the episode becomes especially interesting.
Nay and Jack started as a team of two, but they needed to attract more people in order to keep moving forward in the competition. That meant pitching not just to judges, but to potential teammates as well.
In the end, their group grew into a highly international team with members from Myanmar, Japan, Thailand, and the United States.
Jack sums up the speed of that process beautifully:
“The first day just team formation and then we got strangers and we became friends.”
That line says a lot about why events like this matter. They compress relationship-building, collaboration, and creativity into a very short period. The result is not always a polished company – but it is often the start of something real.
Why International Teams Matter
Another strong thread in the episode is the value of international perspectives. The team did not just gain more hands to help – they gained different ways of thinking.
Some members brought business-model thinking. Others brought technical or design perspectives. That helped transform SkillScoop from a rough student idea into something more solid and more convincing.
That is one of the most interesting things about this episode – it shows how good ideas often get better when they leave the bubble they started in.
They Did Not Think They Would Win
If this were a film, this would be the part where the underdogs quietly admit they never expected to take first place.
And that is more or less exactly what happened.
Jack says:
“Actually, we didn’t. Thought of we are gonna get some kind of prize because like after pitching, I thought okay, ah, I got lots of experience. That’s already totally worth it.”
That quote is one of the reasons the episode works so well. It does not feel rehearsed or over-packaged. It feels honest.
Even more fun is the moment before the result was announced. The team had already mentally ranked the likely winners – and they had left themselves out of the equation.
“No one, no whisper. Because we already have our thought of like winners in the order ourself in our minds.”
Then came the shock of hearing their own project named as the winner.
That moment gives the whole episode a satisfying arc – from uncertainty, to improvisation, to surprise success.
So What Happens Next?
The best part is that this does not sound like the end of the story.
Nay and Jack make it clear that they want to continue developing SkillScoop beyond the competition itself. The immediate team may have changed a bit, as some members returned to academic priorities, but the project is still alive.
The goal, according to the episode, is to move toward a real launch later in the year.
That gives the conversation a nice sense of momentum. This is not just a Buildathon winner being interviewed for a quick victory lap. It is a team trying to build something that might actually become useful.
A Real Call for Help
By the end of the conversation, the team is already openly talking about what they need next – especially technical and marketing support.
That adds another layer to the episode. Listeners are not just hearing a success story. They are hearing a project at the exact point where it could become something bigger.
So if you listen to this episode, you are not just hearing what happened. You are hearing a startup idea in motion.
Why This Episode Is Worth Listening To
There are a few reasons this episode stands out.
- It captures the spirit of Nomad Summit
The story reflects what Nomad Summit is trying to do at its best – bring together people from different countries and backgrounds and create opportunities that go beyond networking and talks. - It is about more than startup buzzwords
This conversation stays grounded. It is not full of hype. It is about students solving a problem they genuinely understand. - It has real tension and charm
The surprise, the nerves, the international team, the short timeline, and the unexpected win make this episode naturally engaging. - It leaves you wanting to know what happens next
That may be the strongest reason to listen. SkillScoop still feels like an open story, and this episode gives you the beginning of it.
Listen to Episode 43
If you want to hear how a student team from Chiang Mai University won the Nomad Summit Buildathon with SkillScoop – and what they plan to do next – listen to the full episode here.
0 Comments