Objectified Decision Engine

226.7 decisions each day taken on food alone (Cornell University),
individuals executed an estimated 35,000 remotely conscious decisions per
day.
Decision Fatigue (ODE survey #1 with 188 international participants) With
62% feel uncomfortable unsatisfied, or regret decisions taken, causing 38%
that have an infinite number of decisions pending (lack of skills, uncertainty,
systems noise). With the ODE.survey #2 (85 participants), 42% responded
to use an estimate of 31 minutes and more for poor choices per day, and
60% use 6 to 15 minutes to postpone decisions every day, stating that
Education and Travel are the main areas for poor and postponed decisions
(Interviews). GenZ and Millennials make up 64% of the world's entire
population. That amounts to 4.7 billion people. Emotional well-being or an
increase in mental stress will influence their decision-making within their
professional life as much as it does with their personal lives—costs for
health treatment and bad decisions to follow.
McKinsey's research (06/21) showed that executives, on average, spend
almost 40 percent of their time making decisions and believe most of that
time is poorly used.
Hiring the wrong person costs roughly 1.5 annual salaries for mid-level
management (ODE.interview Peter Jaksch, Head of HR, PATRIZIA
Immobilien AG).

ODE - objectifying decision engine - the app ofers a linear decision
structure that becomes the digital mentor for safe, honest, and selfdetermined decision-making.
ODE enables young individuals to make informed and well-guided
decisions every day to the more important, life-changing decisions.
Ode creates a collaborative space for active and meaningful online
engagement, giving users an objective framework through which they
receive structured feedback that leads to better decisions.
Ode is purposeful and result-driven – users can develop a historical
bank of decisions enabling them to reflect – supported by machine
learning – and understand the decision made over time.

Upskilling decision competence step-by-step will take next generations to
where they want to be personally, professionally, and with society globally.
Interviews with Laura (16) Europe, Jannis (20) US, Chao (28) PRChina, Nadja
(28) Russia/D, and Pratik (31) India and many more indicated the needs of
young adults. ODE will support young individuals to take action rather than
avoid them, creating value for individuals, groups and society.
Decisions are transparent and based on objective and individual criteria
(own criteria to be created) Advantage: decisions are objectively taken, not
only out of pure gut feeling - but gut feeling stays part of the process as
tests indicated. Once sufcient data is available, the user can inform their
decision by the average decision tendencies of other users, comparing own
decision with those of other people.
Advantage: possibly grow self-assurance, “avoid reinventing the wheel”,
increase satisfaction and achieve decision closure
“I made the right choice” Users can develop their own framework and
understand pros and cons of a decision before approaching others.
Advantage: decision process gains respect (for e.g. young people, convince
parents by showing a structured thought process)
Users can involve others /peer-group in the decision-making process,
without the distraction of arguments and remaining in control.
Advantage: include other opinions in the decision-making process whilst
being able to select "who" says what.
Decision-making is fun, shared and does not waste time
Advantage: "I have time for other things", “I am not overwhelmed by
choice”, “I consciously rejected other options”
Stored long term perspective of decision-making to understand own
decisions over a longer period
Advantage: Ability to reflect on own behaviour
Reduction of conflict and strife (e.g. purchase decisions within partnerships/
marriage)
Advantage: no more unhealthy confrontation, instead healthy discussions
and jointly agreed criteria and decisions.

As a young individual myself, I very well understand the concerns and problems that Gen-Z is going through. Keeping that in mind, we have worked on this solution where we have skilled and experienced people from different walks of life. This helps us create a holistic vision that enables us to solve modern-day problems. 

The team members are as follows:

Gordian Overschmidt (CEO)

• the business all-rounder

• experience in growing and scaling

• enthusiastic lecturer 

Himanshu Rathi (Head of Community and Relations)

• passionate about building communities

• extremely good in handling situations and making a plan of action

• into economics and focuses on business and community development

Zen Melzer (CTO)

• technical wizard

• big picture product development

• a pioneer in UX/UI

There are multiple reasons why ODE.systems GmbH is applying to MIT Solve. A few major ones are:

Impactful Solutions: MIT Solve focuses on tackling pressing global challenges, such as poverty, education, healthcare, climate change, and more.

Collaboration and Networking: MIT Solve offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with a diverse network of experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from various fields.

Access to Resources: MIT Solve provides resources, mentorship, and expertise to help us refine our ideas and maximize output.

MIT Association: The association with MIT, one of the world's leading institutions in technology and innovation, is a major point for ODE. 

Altogether, ODE will be benefitted being a part of such a highly recognized program. It will enable us to increase our impact and do better for the society. 

Our simple but innovative idea is to use the impact-app ODE to train
decisions bottom-up in personal areas with repetition, stored
for reflection and learning, increasing the timeline and influence of
the decision, from building self-determination to
take responsibility for peer groups and later for society.
We do it with the tool (IOS, Android, web) that is with them, "99% of the
time, except I sleep" (Interview: Thanee) to give best-fit support
(everywhere and any time) to a process that can take up to several months
with input along the way.
With this self-determination, we have individuals who have experienced
their efectiveness and power of decisions. They will be ready to become
active participants in all aspects of life, with a responsible attitude.
There is little training in decision-making for children and young adults in
our curriculum unless their parents guide them and are willing to provide
the necessary space to them. We expect them to perform in many
decisions for themselves and our societies.
Societies have a strong focus on democracy. Projects come top-down,
pointing fingers and demanding participation from an knowledgable point
of view. Do non-voters come from other walks of life? We don't see that;
our observations show that many of the "bad" decisions based on wrong
criteria and prioritization are coming from all areas of society, bringing the
world to the point we are at. The impact of ODE is that we enable changes
bottom-up as all changes need a decision for action.

ODE's mission is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to address the world's most pressing challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate change, and other environmental and social issues. ODE contributes directly to several SDGs, including quality education, decent work, and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and climate action, by empowering individuals and communities to make more informed, sustainable, and equitable decisions.

If ODE's product is successful beyond our wildest dreams, it could have a significant impact on society. A growing base of informed and empowered decision-makers would lead to a reduction in negative outcomes and an increase in positive outcomes, resulting in a world where people can live fulfilling and productive lives. The transparency offered by ODE's products could also help track compliance and work as a risk-management tool.

Furthermore, ODE's work towards promoting education and knowledge around decision-making would have a cascading effect, leading to improved decision-making at all levels of society. This could result in more efficient and effective use of resources and a greater capacity to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. Ultimately, ODE could play a critical role in shaping a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous world for future generations.

In conclusion, ODE has the potential to have a significant positive impact on the world. By improving decision-making skills and providing tools for sustainable decision-making, ODE can contribute towards achieving real consciousness about the SDGs.

ODE's impact goals are focused on improving decision-making skills and creating a more sustainable and equitable world, which aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In order to measure progress towards these goals, ODE plans to engage with scientists from different areas and use a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics.

Impact assessments will be conducted to evaluate the extent to which ODE's educational programs and tools are improving decision-making skills and contributing to sustainable and equitable outcomes. This may involve surveys, interviews, case studies, or other data collection methods to gather feedback from program participants and stakeholders.

ODE will also track the number and quality of partnerships and collaborations they have established with other organizations, including government agencies, non-profits, and private sector actors. This can help evaluate the reach and impact of their work and identify opportunities for further collaboration and expansion.

Social media metrics will be monitored to track ODE's reach and engagement with its target audience. Metrics such as followers, likes, comments, shares, and mentions will be used to track social media engagement.

Financial metrics such as revenue, expenses, and profits will also be tracked to evaluate the financial sustainability of ODE's operations and the extent to which they are able to generate revenue to support their impact goals.

Overall, measuring progress toward impact goals requires a comprehensive approach that considers both quantitative and qualitative data. By using a variety of metrics and evaluation methods, organizations like ODE can gain a deeper understanding of their impact and make data-driven decisions to improve their programs and achieve their goals.

ODE's recent evaluation of decision-making workshops conducted with 83 young individuals in Nepal showed promising results. The evaluation found that the majority of participants noticed improvements in their ability to make informed decisions and to overcome decision-making dilemmas since participating in the workshop. Participants also reported an impact on their overall self-awareness and confidence in their ability to make informed decisions. Additionally, the majority of participants continued to use the resources and tools provided during the workshop and were able to apply the skills and techniques they learned in their daily life, specifically in "Community and Environment." These results suggest that training individuals in decision-making skills and providing them with experiences of individual decision results can lead to more participatory, democratic decision-making, and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world.

Overall, ODE's evaluation results demonstrate the positive impact of decision-making workshops on individuals, particularly in self-awareness, confidence, and skill development, and suggest that this type of training can contribute to a more participatory and democratic decision-making culture for communities and the environment. The combination of metrics and evaluation methods planned by ODE will enable them to continue measuring their impact towards achieving their impact goals and making data-driven decisions to improve their programs and achieve their goals.

At ODE, our theory of change is centered around improving decision-making skills to create a more sustainable and equitable world. We believe that by empowering individuals and communities with the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions, we can foster a culture of participatory and democratic decision-making, and contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes.

Our approach to achieving this change is multifaceted. We aim to provide individuals with accessible and engaging decision-making tools and educational programs, designed to improve decision-making skills and promote sustainable and equitable outcomes. We also work to foster a culture of collaboration and problem-solving, where individuals can come together to make collective decisions that benefit everyone.

We believe that our work can lead to positive ripple effects across society. As individuals develop stronger decision-making skills, they are better equipped to engage with complex social and environmental issues, leading to more informed and sustainable decision-making at all levels of society. This can contribute to a more equitable distribution of resources, reduced environmental impact, and improved social and economic outcomes.

Our theory of change is underpinned by several key assumptions. Firstly, we believe that decision-making is a learned skill that can be improved through education and practice. Secondly, we believe that promoting decision-making skills can contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes. Finally, we believe that our approach of using digital tools and training programs can reach a wide audience and facilitate engagement with decision-making processes.

We continuously evaluate and refine our programs and tools to ensure that we are making a meaningful impact towards our theory of change. We believe in a data-driven approach and use a variety of metrics to measure progress towards our impact goals. By using a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, we can gain a deeper understanding of the impact of our programs and make data-driven decisions to improve and expand our work.

In summary, our theory of change is centered around improving decision-making skills to create a more sustainable and equitable world. We believe that by empowering individuals and communities with decision-making skills, we can promote participatory and democratic decision-making, leading to positive social and environmental outcomes. Our approach is underpinned by a commitment to collaboration, problem-solving, and continuous improvement, and is guided by scientific evaluation and ethical principles.

The ODE environment has three parts: The applications
built using Google's angular2 framework. Second, native mobile apps are
made from our source code using Adobe's highly successful PhoneGap. By
approaching development with HTML-based technologies, we can
implement a variety of environments (from smartphones to online
desktops) and retain the ability to customize our app in terms of branding
or regional requirements without the traditional overhead. The custom
middleware runs as a node.js service. Because we are quick and easy for
developers to access, we aim to have a small application stack that is
deployable and directly usable from day one. This is achieved by splitting
our server into multiples of more minor daemons, with each purpose-designed to perform basic activities managed by a more complex
managing node.
In addition to the apps that serve end-users, there must also be a serverside counterpart that enables users to synchronize their data across
multiple devices, interact with external services, and, above all, abstract and
interpret data.
Various components of this infrastructure will be mapped based on a
micro-service cloud to respond as flexibly as possible to growing
requirements in terms of scaling and technical changes.
Next Steps: we intend to extract data from the content generated in the
decision-making processes in the form of texts, logical objects, and assigned
values from our object relations and utilizing machine learning (A.I.)
supported semantic analysis, which will be mapped in abstracted data
structures and processed for further use by the data owner.

We aim to extend the already existing non-hierarchical corporate culture in all areas of the organization, centered on our commitment to diversity. Personal and professional networks, in conjunction with a targeted employer branding effort, will be used to attract impact-oriented individuals, and suitable candidates have already been identified and cultivated.

Two-way strategy: researching best-fit developers within the network and identifying potential candidates, keeping communication tight in all areas of interest. Second, research and evaluation of potential outsourcing capacities - dedicated teams with the potential takeover.

Our CEO fostered women into leadership roles and entrepreneurship already when nobody actually was talking about it.

At ODE, we focus on creating small revenues but a bigger impact by working with paying customers who subscribe to our services on a yearly basis. Currently, we have 45 yearly subscriptions. Our active user base is 500 individuals, with a majority of them being young adults who are seeking to improve their decision-making and resilience skills.

In terms of training, we have a strong presence in India and Nepal. In India, we have trained 100 students and have 30+ university ambassadors who are actively promoting our solution. Additionally, we have also worked with 3 principals from different educational institutions.

Non-Profit: In Nigeria, we executed the first Whatsapp Training with the Organisation led by Teach For Nigeria Alumni to foster the decision-making skill of 80 African students.

Non-Profit: In Nepal, we have trained 110 underprivileged young adults, as well as 50 students, 40 teachers, 35 professors, 30 parents, and 3 trainers. We believe that by providing training to a diverse group of individuals, we can create a bigger impact in the communities we serve.

For Profit: In the UAE we have been invited to give training to 15 - 17-year-old students (Grades 10 to 12). Training and a yearly subscription is a paid services for private schools. 

We believe that by focusing on creating small revenues but a bigger impact, we can create a sustainable business model that allows us to continue to improve the lives of young people. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our services and reach more individuals who can benefit from our solution.

ODE.systems is working on B2B as well as B2C model. The app provides a freemium model to provide the users with the software and help them be aware. The B2B model comes with training young adults to help them become stronger decision-makers in various aspects of life. ODE is supported by grants and collaborations to keep the system running. As a social impact start-up, its main aim is to provide benefits to the users and cover the expenses that the organization faces. 

The next step is to collaborate with corporates to successfully establish a system of training and app implementation. This will help in the internal decision-making processes of the company. The revenue from it will be used to cover the overall expenses for this procedure.

ODE received funding of 150K Euro from a Business angel to cover the MVP and an additional grant of 100K Euro from the European Social Fund to reach the current phase. As a Starting point for profit revenue generation, we have been booked to provide training to 15 - 17-year-old students (Grades 10 to 12). Training and a yearly subscription is a paid service for private schools and a pilot for further evaluation and future cooperation.

Universities in India requested a repetition of the lecture held in 2022 and negotiations are ongoing. Women and LGBTQ+ empowerment programs are in the planning and will be handed in with the ERASMUS+ program that is open for education start-ups for profit.