Nicky Terblanche has transitioned from being a software engineer to an academic, then a leadership coach, lecturer, and now a business owner. Drawing from his multifaceted career, he has founded a novel technology that combines his diverse expertise. Coach Vici (pronounced vee-chee) is derived from Julius Caesar’s famous phrase “veni, vidi, vici” meaning “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Thus the “Vici” in Coach Vici represents the conquering aspect, symbolizing the software’s goal to help users overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Terblanche developed this AI coaching software by integrating his knowledge of leadership coaching and software engineering.
During the 1990’s Terblanche completed his engineering studies at Stellenbosch University (SU), graduating with a masters in electronic engineering, specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) and speech recognition. This foundation in AI would later become a cornerstone of his entrepreneurial ventures.
Following his academic pursuits, Terblanche had an 18-year stint in a corporate environment before he developed an interest in psychology which would lead him to pursue a master’s degree in leadership coaching at the Stellenbosch Business School (SBS). The shift from engineering to leadership coaching was significant for Terblanche who describes coaching as a form of applied psychology, which helps individuals find their own solutions rather than providing direct advice. After completing his masters, he continued his academic journey with a PhD in leadership coaching.
It was during his postdoctoral studies that Terblanche discovered his love for research and where he started exploring the intersections of technology and psychology. Nearing the end of his PhD, an opportunity arose for him to join SBS as a full-time senior lecturer. He took on the role of managing the leadership coaching department and lecturing in research methodology on the MBA programme.
As part of his research Terblanche started developing software or chatbot to integrate the coaching models and theories derived from his PHD research into the system. Hereafter, Terblanche ran a randomised control study for two years where one group had access to a human coach and another group had been coached by an AI bot. Using a goal attainment survey, the participants were asked to complete the survey every month and at the end it was determined that the chatbot is just as effective as a human coach.
This discovery led to the start of Terblanche’s commercialisation journey. “I started developing the chatbot in 2017, well before the widespread popularity of AI chatbots like ChatGPT. My vision was to create a tool that could democratize access to coaching, making it available to a broader audience through advanced technology,” says Terblanche.
Following the advice of his peers, Terblanche approached Innovus with his software and the team helped him to further develop and commercialise his ideas, gaining valuable support and resources to bring his vision to life. “Innovus played a critical role in the development of Coach Vici, providing guidance on intellectual property, funding opportunities, and business development strategies,” notes Terblanche. This collaboration enabled Terblanche to transform his research into a market-ready product, setting the stage for the successful launch of his startup.
Terblanche emphasizes the importance of commercialising academic research to maximise its impact: “Academics tend to become academics because we love the research,” he says, “but the challenge is that often the research gets stuck there and it doesn’t go any further than the academic community.”
He adds that “publishing in top journals is valuable, but it often means the research is read by a limited audience.” Terblanche believes that if research has commercial applications, then it should be pursued to benefit society.
His message to other academics is clear: “If you want your research to be impactful, think of how to commercialize it. You might be helping a lot of people and also make some money in the process. But you must ensure that you surround yourself with the right people and support network from the start, otherwise it will be tough.”
Coach Vici is currently collaborating with Helm, a South African technology provider, to develop and refine the chatbot. This partnership ensures that the technology behind Coach Vici remains cutting-edge and effective in delivering coaching services.
As Terblanche and team continue to expand Coach Vici and its capabilities, his story demonstrates that the commercialisation of research is not only possible but also essential for making a significant societal impact.
If you are interested in how Coach Vici can help your organisation with performance improvement, email support@coachvici.com.