A founder I worked with was drowning in his own business. Doing every sales call. Reviewing every proposal and contract. Answering every customer question himself. Kept saying: "I can't find anyone good enough to hire." Turns out that wasn't the problem. The problem was that every time someone on his team tried something, he took it back. Rewrote their proposals from scratch. Jumped on their calls. Overrode their decisions. His team gave up trying months ago. I told him what someone told me...

Background: From Classroom Teacher to Ed‑Tech Founder Adam spent years in the classroom, working directly with students and witnessing the daily challenges that come with large class sizes and limited time for meaningful conversation. In 2017, he joined forces with a colleague to launch Bloomsights.com , an online platform designed to capture student voice and provide educators with actionable insights into school climate and student well‑being. The goal was simple: help teachers identify...

Forty years in EdTech. I've watched a lot of companies come, and a lot of companies go. Most didn't fail because of bad products. They won a contract. Threw a party. Started chasing the next one. Meanwhile, the district they just signed was struggling. Teachers didn't know how to use it. Principals had questions. Nobody from the company is picking up the phone. When the renewal came around, the district said “no thanks.” The companies that are still around? They did it differently. The...