Show Notes
E315: STILL IN SCHOOL. 300,000 DOWNLOADS. A $500,000 FUNDRAISE. AND NO PLANS FOR COLLEGE?
What the hell were YOU doing when you were 17?
Paddy Corcoran and Seán Cahill were supposed to be studying for their Junior Cert. Instead, they were scrolling through TikTok. Then they had an idea. What if studying were as addictive as TikTok?
Fast-forward to today. Their Studytok app has recorded 300,000 downloads of its original global version, their TikTok account has attracted over 100,000 followers, and the lads are raising $500,000 to build an international education business. Oh, and they're still in sixth year.
They actually took "time out" (eh, they bunked out) of school to come and talk to me. That's dedication. Or truancy. I'll leave that between them and their teachers. From Rockwell College (where it all began) in Tipperary to investor meetings in New York, these two have already travelled further in business than many people three times their age. They're now at school in Dublin to keep the techbro mo going...
Their mentor and first investor, Erik Jentetics, introduced them to me. He spotted something rather special. We talk about: Turning a TY mini-company project into a serious technology business. How one TikTok video attracted 2.3 million views. Why Ireland is their testing ground before taking on America. How AI can turn ordinary study notes into interactive quizzes and exam practice. Why they're charging schools €25 per student per year. Raising $500,000 while preparing for the Leaving Cert. Why Paddy might never go to college (I told him he should, that should come back to haunt me) while Seán has his eye on engineering and robotics. The extraordinary importance of mentors, investors and taking advice.
And, of course, who they'd hire in a heartbeat. Their choices? A former Duolingo product chief and a brilliant American consumer-brand marketer. These lads have done their homework. Some of it, anyway. They're looking for introductions to people in the American education sector. If you're connected to US schools, education technology or investors, have a listen and see if you can help them. Studytok: https://studytok.com That Great Business Show is brought to you by De Facto Shaving Oil. Made in Mayo, sold around the world. No horrible foam. Just a very good shave. https://defactoshave.com Subscribe, follow and share That Great Business Show. We find the interesting businesses. We ask the questions. You get the benefit. That's our gentlemen's and ladies' agreement. Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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