Business Models within Education

Surprised to see a section on business models in a guide about education startups? Well, don’t be. There are several startups who have proven they can make money, either by selling directly to schools or approaching teachers and then getting districts on board.

As many technologists from the consumer internet space jump on the edtech bandwagon it can be tempting to build your product and figure out the business model later. However, this can be a challenging approach to take and seasoned edtech entrepreneurs will urge you to consider your customer and business model from day one. This section provides some general suggestions combined with specific stories to help understand various K12 sales channels and design/discover a business model to sustain your growing startup. For those of you who want the VC perspective on the potential of the consumer approach, Fred Wilson of NYC-based Union Square Ventures shared his thoughts during the Ed Startup 101 MOOC back in the fall of 2012.