CoffeeChatPro

STEM graduate programs do not teach students how to prepare for coffee chats or create a real connection in them. CoffeeChatPro turns the advice I had been giving informally into a structured course.

The Problem

Life-science students and recent graduates often know the science but not the mechanics of networking. Vague advice like "reach out to people" does not explain how to build a pitch, prepare for a conversation, or ask questions worth answering.

What It Does

The course covers the fundamentals, building your pitch, and preparing for each conversation. The site also includes an AI pitch builder, question bank, and prep workflow, though those tools still need work.

How I Built It

I was going to write a static networking guide and sell it on Gumroad. Static guides have a shelf life, and everyone's networking situation is different, so I built an app instead with Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and an LLM behind the AI tools. The course is free; the AI tools run on credits.

Where It Stands

I am leaving it as a course and moving on. Doing more with the app is still on the roadmap.