( )a primerfor those thinking of becoming a founder of an education startup. what you need to know.

by Aron Solomon

( )keep it simple.

the best reason to do an education startup is because you’ve identified a real pain point. this is called problem identification. explain this simply and clearly. tell us why your product or service should exist. if we don’t feel that pain point, we won’t buy in.

( )simpler than that.

imagine that you have an elevator ride of two, not twenty, floors to pitch your idea. keep it that simple and brief. your goal here is to spark enough interest for the person to sit down with you for a coffee. that’s it.

( )even more simple.

having problems formulating your pitch? explain the concept to a middle school student. do they get it?

( )no mercenaries.

it’s really hard to do a startup, exponentially harder in the education space. if you’re here to make a quick buck, probably best to leave now.

( )business models are the new black.

read alex osterwalder’s “business model generation.” it’s immensely useful.

( )bootstrap.

it’s 2013 - finding someone to fund your minimum viable product is very difficult and probably unadvisable. Fund your own build. Ask friends and family. Be really stingy with equity.

( )take money when it presents.

always be friendraising. this leads to later fundraising. building the right relationships with potential investors takes months and years, not days and weeks.

( )let’s think about product.

don’t worry about bells and whistles. build something simple and make sure that it works. read steve blank’s “the startup owner’s manual.” test stuff. a lot.

( )it’s a small world.

how mobile are you? do you need to build your product in your home city or country? is your market domestic or global?be flexible and open to opportunity.

( )the 7th circle of hell.

selling education product and services into school boards and the like takes a very long time. few startups are equipped or prepared for the sales cycle. my own personal preference is for consumer-facing education products.

( )no. they won’t get it.

but they eventually might. stick with it.

( )research matters.

this is education. you need to have support that what you’re doing makes sense for your users. it’s much more complicated than this but just understand that the stakes are higher because it’s education.

( )you need help.

surround yourself with a great team and superb advisors. sometimes it makes sense to make a key advisor a compensated member of the team.

( )learn to pitch.

everyone can do a better job pitching their idea. practice. a lot.

( )design counts.

seriously. find a great designer. have them use visual design to help convey your thoughts and ideas. your presentation decks need to look and feel good. your website should be beautiful and honest.

( )get more help.

don’t shop around for new people when the ones you have close to you don’t tell you what you want to hear, but take the time to hear some voices outside your inner circle.

( )don’t fake it.

ask when you don’t know something. you’re entering a world of endless acronyms and simple things with ten different names. if you’re confused just ask.

( )stealth is old news.

collaboration is better than secrecy. the chance of someone stealing your idea is slim. keep people updates with your progress, discuss where you’re running into problems. find allies.

( )find and re-find your center.

your north star is the pain point you initially identified. as you build whatever it is that you’re building, keep going back to that. do your features help solve this problem? hit that problem hard and directly.

( )get it done.

build something beautiful and useful that helps a lot of people. and generates revenue. because if it doesn’t, it’s a hobby, not a business.