Sync | Devpost

Inspiration

"Wait, can we record this meeting?" is such a beautiful question for an intern. However, the ability to utilize powerful recording and summarization tools such as Zoom or Google Meets falls short for those informal, random chats interns often get with their mentors, on a walk, getting chai, or just a quick chat at a desk. This often comes from Zoom and Google Meets only being used in online scenarios where laptops are easily accessible. This lack of summarization and recording tools can lead to moments where interns or other employees feel at a loss for the blur of information they were just given.

What it does

Sync brings the power of modern meeting tools to your phone, as well as creating an accelerated Jira creation process through the use of AI models and Atlassian products: Forge and Jira.

How we built it

We built Sync using Atlassian Forge Cloud Platform as our backend foundation, leveraging vanilla JavaScript and Forge's Web Triggers to create HTTP endpoints that process voice input and interact directly with Jira's REST APIs. The backend integrates with Jira Cloud APIs (including Agile APIs for sprint management) and uses Atlassian Document Format (ADF) for rich text fields, while our iOS frontend is built in Swift with voice recording capabilities and real-time transcription. The system processes base64-encoded audio data through OpenAI AI-powered analysis to extract actionable Jira operations. The entire stack is designed for production deployment on Atlassian's cloud infrastructure, with minimal required permissions and comprehensive error recovery mechanisms.

Challenges we ran into

We faced several significant challenges while building Sync, starting with the learning curve of the Atlassian Forge platform. We had to completely relearn component usage since Forge only supports @forge/react UI Kit components rather than standard React. Additionally, deployment-based testing meant every change required a full redeploy, slowing iteration and complicating debugging. Managing web trigger URLs created configuration hurdles, and aligning request/response formats between iOS and the backend required careful API design. We also ran into issues with cross-platform data serialization between Swift and JavaScript, and limited visibility that made error tracking difficult.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The fact that we built a fully functional voice-to-Jira system that turns natural speech into Jira operations, from issue creation to sprint assignments. The app includes error handling, retry logic, and a two-step preview system for user control, while handling sprint management and conversation tracking seamlessly. We were able to deliver a secure, production-ready solution that has real, practical applications.

What we learned

Building Sync gave us hands-on experience with Atlassian’s Forge platform and Jira’s API ecosystem, from issue management to Agile workflows and custom fields. We worked with Web Triggers, UI Kit components, and minimal permission scopes while designing resilient systems with error handling, retries, and fallback mechanisms. The project also taught us audio processing, real-time data transmission, and strong API contract management across mobile and backend. And last but not least, it trained us to think like enterprise developers by balancing security, scalability, and maintainability to build production-ready applications.

What's next for Sync

Looking ahead, we imagine Sync growing into a full voice-driven productivity tool that goes beyond just Jira. We’re planning to add support for other Atlassian products like Confluence, Bitbucket, and Jira Service Management, and integrate with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and GitHub. We also want to explore AI features like multi-language voice processing, smarter natural language understanding, and suggestions based on team patterns and project context. On mobile, we’re thinking about offline voice processing, confirmations for actions, and ways for teams to collaborate in real time. For bigger teams, features like role-based permissions, custom templates, and analytics will make it easier to scale. Our aim is simple: we want others to be saying "Let's Sync."