The Co-Founder Life in EdTech: Building, Hiring, and Holding the Vision

If you’ve co-founded an EdTech company, you know this already:
It’s not just a job. It’s an act of belief.

You’re building something for learners, not just users. You’re balancing the rigor of tech with the nuance of pedagogy. And somewhere in between fundraising, product sprints, and late-night bug fixes—you’re also hiring.

It’s exhilarating. It’s exhausting. And most days, it’s both at once.

Wearing 10 Hats, Dropping 2, Catching 8

As a co-founder, you’re the pitch deck, the product lead, the therapist, the janitor, and—very often—the head of hiring.

You don’t have an HR team (yet).
You’re trying to hire your first engineer, your first curriculum lead, maybe both.
And every hire feels like a bet on the future you’re building.

But here’s the twist: when you’re working in education, it’s not just about skills or velocity. You’re hiring people who care. Who get it. Who want to build something that matters.

The Art of Early Hires

In the early stages, hiring feels less like a transaction and more like casting a play.

You're not just filling seats. You’re looking for creative chemistry. Shared rhythm. Mutual trust. People who don’t just want a job—but want to join the story.

That’s why early hires at EdTech companies are rarely cookie-cutter.
Sometimes the best product thinker is a former teacher.
Sometimes the right ops lead comes from a nonprofit background.
Sometimes the résumé doesn’t “match,” but the mindset does.

And if you’re not careful, a rigid hiring process can screen those people out before you even meet them.

The Pain of the Search (and the Power of Getting It Right)

You’re balancing urgency with intention.
There’s a product to ship, a seed round to close, a school district waiting for a demo.
You need people—but not just anyone.

And when hiring becomes chaotic (Slack threads, half-finished scorecards, ghosted candidates), it doesn’t just slow you down. It pulls energy from the part of you that wants to lead.

Hiring shouldn’t feel like a distraction from the mission.
It should feel like a way of protecting it.

A Thought for Co-Founders

If you’re in the thick of it—juggling growth, purpose, and team-building—know this: you’re not the only one writing the script as you go.

But the sooner you bring structure to your hiring, the sooner you can get back to the work that only you can do:
Holding the vision. Connecting the dots. Building the thing that no one else quite sees yet.

Because in EdTech, you’re not just launching a company.
You’re composing something bigger—part system, part symphony.

So cast carefully.
Hire with intention.
And build something that lasts.