Ask HN: Has anyone worked with the education industry?
Apps like Blackboard have a seemingly strong hold on certain patents and contracts, but rather than dismissing the market all together, I was wondering if anyone could share their experiences if they've had any.
The app would ideally have a contractual relationship with schools (similar to Blackboard) but would not be a direct competitor.
In my mind these are the potential routes in:
1) Start at the top: Try to get conversations going with people in charge, have a small group test-drive the app, and hopefully arrive at a contract.
2) Start in the middle... through professors: get them interested in the app, then bridge connections to get a contract going.
3) From the bottom... go through students, offer it for free. Generate enough buzz so that the school would take notice and would be interested in a university version of the app.
thanks!