Edtech is a huge industry that is growing with each year. However, even with the amount of money it generates, many edtech companies end up failing within a few years. When it comes down to it, edtech companies are still a company, and it’s this belief that often leads to failure. Opening a company in the edtech industry is idealistic, and many startup entrepreneurs hope to make a better world with their edtech company. But, there’s one thing they are doing that ruins the market.

 Today’s problems are different

What many edtech companies forget is that the problems of today are different than the problems of their own childhood. These companies often try to solve the problems that plagued themselves, which leads to confusion amongst teachers and students. The education market is constantly changing, and without the proper understanding of the school’s issues, edtech becomes obsolete.

Teachers today are also different. They spend hours upon hours trying to teach their students, grade papers and make them better citizens of society. Edtech companies need to communicate with the teachers to really understand what problems they and their students are facing. However, even that might not be enough.

There are issues that come to fruition when you look at the differences in each state and school district. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work, but customizing edtech for each school can be a costly venture that may not pay off for edtech companies. Because of this, they don’t want to customize software and other items when they are a startup company without the capital. As much as edtech in each district is important, corporate interests are stopping this from happening.

No empathy from corporate

Corporate interests are destroying the edtech market because they are not communicating with teachers about what their classroom needs are. Some of the larger edtech companies focus on one item and bypass schools themselves. However, for the edtech companies that want to work on a local level with schools, they need to communicate and be empathetic about what the teachers are experiencing. 

No school needs digital computers or iPad with the same boring curriculum. They need edtech companies that care about the students and want to educate better with technology. In order to do that, there needs to be a local-level study done by edtech companies. Corporate interests are important in any company, but it shouldn’t be the only thing that matters to edtech companies.

 Concluding thoughts

When companies go into the edtech market, they should know that they are entering a lucrative, but idealistic, market. It may not be the most profitable when done correctly. Edtech companies should have a love for education, and their profits shouldn’t be the first thing they think of. In order for this to change, more interaction between corporate and teachers is needed. They need to be understanding and empathize with the schools to come up with solutions in edtech that will help everyone.