For those who are interested in working in EdTech, I need to be honest with you about what you're signing up for.
You probably shouldn't apply.
EdTech's graveyard is full of brilliant engineers. AltSchool raised $200M and closed. Knewton raised $180M and sold for scraps. 2,148 edtech startups in India shut down in the past five years.
They didn't fail because of a lack of technical skill. They failed from mission drift.
Here's what working in edtech actually means:
You're not building software. You're building a theory of how children learn. -
@MitchForest
When you're 2 months into the same feature, and it still doesn't work, you won't have the dopamine hits of shipping fast. You'll need something deeper.
For the engineers who build learning apps for
@AlphaSchoolATX, they are REQUIRED to spend 2 hours every day studying. Not coding. Studying and reading papers on cognitive load theory, motivation research, and translating learning science into applications.
Two hours. Every single day.
Engineers like
@yiran__c write about the neuroscience of handwriting.
@arpangup shares the Harada Method.
@LamarDealMaker explores AI for skill development.
This isn't optional. It's the job.
Your success metrics will lie to you.
High DAUs don't mean kids are learning. Viral engagement doesn't mean mastery. The metrics that drive consumer tech success actively undermine educational outcomes.
The money will tempt you to build the wrong thing.
EdTech market: $400B by 2030. That capital creates pressure to optimize for pitch decks instead of classrooms. Byju's hit $22B before collapsing.
An MBA analyzes constraints. A builder changes reality.
What we require:
➡️ Mission Alignment
➡️ Agency
➡️ Strong Engineering Skills
If you're chasing market opportunity or building for your resume, don't apply.
But if you're a builder who sees broken systems and feels an overwhelming need to fix them? If you believe high standards create happy kids? If you want to change education for a billion children?
Before applying, read the link in the reply.
And if you're still interested after understanding what it really takes, let's talk about joining us in building the future of EdTech.