Episode Description

In this conversation, Shadman Majid shares his entrepreneurial journey, focusing on the challenges faced in the education sector in Bangladesh and how his startup, Sohupati, aims to bridge the gap between students and quality teachers. He discusses the evolution of Sohupati from a free community service to a sustainable business model, emphasizing the importance of user feedback in developing features that truly meet the needs of students and teachers. In this conversation, Shadman Majid discusses the evolution of his educational platform, focusing on the importance of direct interaction between students and teachers, the challenges of establishing a sustainable business model, and the strategies for revenue generation. He highlights the significance of teacher engagement, the hybrid model of course delivery, and the current user base. The conversation also delves into marketing strategies, the ongoing funding process, and the impact of AI on education, emphasizing that while AI can enhance efficiency, it cannot fully replace the human element in teaching.

Key Takeaways

Shadman's journey into entrepreneurship began with a desire to impact the community.
There is a significant gap in access to quality education in rural areas of Bangladesh.
The education system is heavily focused on academic success, neglecting real-life skills.
Sohupati started as a free platform but evolved to include a sustainable business model.
User feedback is crucial in developing features that meet the needs of students.
Education should come before technology in the edtech space.
Building a focus group helped identify what users truly want.
Listening to all users can lead to confusion; prioritization is key.
The initial features built were not user-friendly, leading to low engagement.
Sohupati aims to connect students with quality teachers through an accessible platform. Students desire direct interaction with teachers.
Minimizing input while maximizing results is key for users.
Building trust is crucial for a paid model.
A hybrid model of teaching is more effective.
The platform has around 50,000 registered students.
Only about 10% of users are paying customers.
Online marketing strategies are currently prioritized.
Funding is essential for future growth.
AI can assist but won't replace teachers.
Understanding student needs is vital for effective teaching.

Meet Our Guest

Shadman Majid is the cofounder of Sohopathi. Sohopathi (www.sohopathi.io) is a social learning app that helps teachers create “learning groups”, a place where students can learn from teachers and peers alike. The core idea is to create a classroom like environment where students can act as co-teachers, guided by a principal teacher. Built around the group learning concept, the app facilitates communication not just between teacher and student, but also among students. As a result, students have a richer, more rewarding and more effective learning experience. Inside the app, the students can join any learning group from a recommended list of groups. Once enrolled, they get access to high quality learning materials (videos and notes) from the teacher. They can also help each other by uploading their own notes and videos. To ensure the quality of the contents, a peer review system is implemented. The contents of any subject/topic are reviewed by other teachers in the app, having the same subject expertise.