
 Please review my startup. Safe text messaging for teachers - kabuks
http://classparrot.com
======
aspir
Just wondering, but have you talked with many teachers about this? Being
married to one, and having a lot in my extended family, I know how real the
legal risks are for something like this. I know these risks ultimately comes
down to how the teachers use the tool, but districts and other organizations
are liable if, say, a teacher says something "controversial." As a result,
using something like this could get a teacher fired.

If teacher/student ends up as an unattractive market for whatever reason, I'd
consider teacher/parent - regular parent outreach a huge pain for teachers,
and its also their number one "contact" after other teachers and district
employees. I know my wife runs into a lot of headaches from the "fog of
communication lag" or whatever you'd want to call it.

Alternatively, this could be used as a small business tool for managers and
shift workers. No more need to go about finding a replacement by calling down
a list. Of this could just be a generic communication tool with employees who
may not have regular access to email (things like trades, etc.)

TL;DR: I think it's a cool tool, but teacher/student communication may be a
little risky to start with.

EDIT: You do deserve a huge credit for developing a tool that helps teachers,
rather than attempts to remove them from the process. I've seen too many tools
developed as "teaching aids" that seem to be rooted in the belief that
teachers are somehow lacking and that a massed produced video game or
application could replace them. These ultimately assume that the teachers are
lazy or ignorant and would hand their students over to an outsider; which is
why they never succeed. Congrats for not holding those assumptions.

~~~
kabuks
We surveyed 50 teachers before launching (inspired by the customer
discovery/validation processes). 100% of them agreed that texting students
puts their job at risk. 50% of them text students anyway to remind them of
stuff, and co-ordinate with them.

Our main value add, is to eliminate this 'creepy factor' and give teachers a
way to communicate with students that doesn't risk their jobs.

~~~
aspir
Well, numbers don't lie :) It looks like you stumbled onto something pretty
awesome.

------
hospadam
My wife is an Elementary-grade teacher. While it wouldn't really work for her
(her students don't have phones - yet), I can easily see the use case for
others. However - you really need to think about this issue: the reason
teachers aren't texting students (or shouldn't be texting students) isn't
simply because they don't want to share their personal numbers. They're not
texting students because they're not supposed to have that kind of direct
access/contact with students outside of school. You might be offering it
already- but you might want to think about some auditing tool. Or - make sure
you keep all the records of all texts sent. As long as you make it clear to
the teachers, I think you'll be fine.

~~~
JimmyL
Definitely agree on the auditing tool - but I'd take it further, and make it a
a full-blown feature. Provide the teacher's higher-ups with it (so they can
inspect, if needed) and provide it to parents as well, so they can see what
the messages are.

Maybe event take it one step further and encourage parents to sign up with it
as well, so they know what type of messages their kids are getting that their
child's teacher considers important enough to send using this medium (perhaps
include an email-delivery option for these ones).

The basic product is one-to-many double-blind logged communication; don't make
it about the exact mechanics of how the conversation is delivered, make it
about the logged/safety aspect of it. SMS, email, voice-drop, robo-call, AIM-
bot, etc. are all communication media that could benefit from this approach.

~~~
kabuks
Great feedback. Thanks.

We do have an auditing tool, and keep records of all texts back and forth. We
should definitely highlight this more.

Also working on a way for parents to register their kids' phone numbers and
get cced on all communication.

------
colinsidoti
I considered joining this industry for a little bit, it's fun technology. My
research pointed me towards athletic departments instead of teachers for
budget purposes, as well as a stronger desire for a coach to be connected to
his/her team than a teacher to be connected to his/her students.

Please note that this was determined off a very small sample size

~~~
scottm01
My wife is a teacher and completely agreed with your research. She'd never use
it (fear of losing protections using anything outside school-required
communications; desire to not increase coddling students with constant
reminders; etc), but suggested that coaches would probably love it.

------
hsparikh
I believe there is a startup from this semester's Imagine K-12 batch that is
working on a similar product, albeit its more twitter like. Here it is:
<http://www.remind101.com/>

Teacher/parent is definitely a more viable place to start this kind of a tool.
Good luck!

------
DanBC
I like the clear, easy to understand language.

To satisfy school regulatory bodies you might want to have something labled
"privacy policy" which lists relevant laws and your compliance.

I'd stick the pricing somewhere more prominent. You're not sleazy or spammy,
so let people know how you're funded so they don't have to think whether
you're going to be selling ads. (I did have that thought until I found your
pricing.)

~~~
kabuks
Ok, so our little privacy link needs to be bigger clearly. Thanks.

I just changed the wording on the "Perfectly Free" area and linked to our
costs. Do you think that's prominent enough?

------
geoffc
Nice focused implementation of group broadcast texting.

You might want to tweak the Perfectly free message on the home page to sync up
with the freemium model described in the FAQ. It will probably help with your
target market to explain you do actually have a business model.

Good luck with the venture!

~~~
kabuks
Thanks for the feedback. Just tweaked it. Let me know what you think.

------
badmash69
Congratulations! Your website design is incredibly well polished and the site
is put together really well and you message is communicated really well. Did
you design the site by yourself ? Please share your design tips/resources.

~~~
troels
The design is pretty good - well above the norm. It could still be improved
though.

I like the "Perfectly Safe, Perfectly Simple, Perfectly Free", but
stylistically it's quite different from the infographic on top. The logo is
also a bit off from the rest in style. And the call-to-action button is a bit
washed out. The main menu has horrendous choice of colours.

The sign-up form has a lot of empty space that makes the page look only half
done. And there is some lack of consistency on how you style forms in general.
(Grey background for the whole form or just the submit-button panel?)

All minor things, but going over them a few times could really improve the
finish a lot.

~~~
kabuks
Great feedback. Thanks! Can you help? shereef@classparrot.com

~~~
troels
I'm sorry, but I really don't have the time, besides giving a few suggestions
here on HN. In any case, graphical design is not exactly my main area of
expertise. Keep in mind that it's a lot more craft than art, so you can do a
lot even if you consider your self graphically challenged.

You might want to present your layout on forrst.com. If you don't know it
already, it's a community with the focus of bringing hackers and designers
together. You can usually get some good constructive feedback there. If you
need an invite, let me know.

------
libraryatnight
The design is simple (in a good way) and attractive, I like it. The idea is
fantastic. Glossing over the comments I understand the concern that it's
'risky,' but this seems less risky than direct contact via their phone number
which I'm sure some teachers already do.

Giving teachers more ways to communicate with their students is something I'll
always be a fan of, and I'm sure even some parents wouldn't mind being on the
list for some texts (assignment reminders?).

Congrats on a cool idea and a neat startup.

------
smayfield
Avoiding the "will it solve the perceived problem" aspect that many of these
reviews focused on, it doesn't really scream "good business model" to me. It's
not particularly novel (it's an anonymous re-mailer with phone numbers instead
of email addresses). It's not solving a problem that can't be solved many
other ways already (internal school district systems, email lists, teacher
blogs, written notes on the whiteboard). One of its primary sales points
(protects teachers by restricting direct contact info) is only a tiny aspect
of a more general problem (inappropriate communication/contact between
students/teachers). Its primary sales point offers protection from a legal
liability (possessing information that could be abused) but doesn't secure
that information effectively (phone numbers aren't treated by most people as
"strictly private information" and therefore are easily obtained from many
sources). I don't see how it will be monetized effectively as neither students
nor teachers are likely to pay for it (my opinion only) and it would be
difficult to offer ads given that the user interface that both parties
interact with is basically a text message. Technologically, it's not exactly a
hard concept to duplicate now that you've presented the idea, and therefore
you have a risk of competitors without the benefit of a significant "first to
market" advantage. Texting is popular because it's simple. I'm not sure how
much you can enhance the service beyond hiding the number. That leaves me
wondering where your growth and customer loyalty will come from.

If you're still reading :) It's an interesting idea, it's a nice design, it's
focused on a single problem, and congrats on shipping it! I'm not saying these
things to discourage you, but I think you should be sure that you have
considered issues like these.

Good luck!

------
rednaught
How does something like this work where not all kids have phones? Are some
school districts now distributing mobile phones and access plans?

------
SoftwareMaven
I had the police show up at my house last week because a teacher called the
police about a text that originated from my son's cell phone (a case of wrong
phone numbers and practical jokes). I can appreciate the need teachers have to
protect themselves. I can also appreciate students wanting to communicate the
way _they_ communicate.

I think there is a market there. My kids would like it.

------
ryan-allen
I think the idea is great. A simple tech solution to a legitimate problem.

I don't know if you have this feature, but I would suggest logging of
IPs/everything else when sending a broadcast (the number of teachers whom I
saw have their password guessed or captured with keyloggers in high school was
out of control, I would not put it past a student to get access to the tool
and broadcast things for shits and giggles), and additionally maybe set up
time windows that cannot be used for broadcast. I.e. if teacher is out with
mates drinking one might think it funny to send a broadcast at 2am to all the
kids, that'd be bad news.

Oh, and automated reminders maybe! Set up to send a message at 7pm 'remember
to bring your permission slips for the field trip!'.

I imagine that parents might want in on the broadcast system as well, so they
can also receive messages that have been sent to their kids.

Anyway, brilliant simple idea with a real use. Exactly what tech is for!

------
wesleyzhao
I think this is a great idea. As a student right now, I know I would love to
use this. But I would love it even more if teachers would use something like
this to keep us updated (as opposed to the crappy school-district run sites
they barely know how to use..)

------
mmxio
When I was in high school back in China, my school offered a ~$1/month
subscription to receive SMS notices from school & teachers. From what I know,
I didn't see any parents that refused this subscription. This is a proven
business.

------
redjuggler2012
Signed up for an account. Easy, simple, and fast, but when I tried to send a
message, my test phone didn't receive the text message. So great design, but
the basic functionality doesn't work!

~~~
kabuks
Could you ping me with the email address you used. I would love to clear this
up. shereef@classparrot.com

------
kabuks
Folks, thanks for the great feedback. I'm especially curious what you think of
our business model:

The first 500 credits are free. Every month we'll add another 200 free
credits. (each credit is one text message to one person)

Users can also get more credits by inviting others to use ClassParrot.
Inviteer and invitee both get an extra 200 credits.

Paid plans offer unlimited credits:

For a single teacher $9/month (or $90/year) For schools up to 20 teachers
$100/month (or $1000/year) For schools with more than 20 teachers $200/month
(or $2000/year)

Thoughts?

~~~
leftnode
I wish you the best, but getting a school to pony up for this is going to be
difficult. Their budgets are extremely tight (at least in Texas). My wife is a
teacher and she frequently finds her spending her personal money on classroom
supplies.

~~~
kabuks
She's not alone. On average teachers spend $430 out of pocket per school year
on school supplies.

We don't want to add to that burden, and would really really like to find a
way to have the schools pay.

------
wijnglas
@hsparikh is right. This looks an awful lot like Imagine K12-backed Remind101
(<http://www.remind101>).

------
isnotchicago
The site focuses on after-school usage; have you thought about in-classroom
texting? For instance, in classes where 100% of kids have cell phones, this
could be used as a cheap, more usable alternative for response systems.

(Definitely a version 2.0 feature, though. You would get into the whole
dangerous world of visualizing feedback, integrating with interactive
whiteboards, audience polling competitors, etc.)

------
oquidave
Hi, i like the simplicity of the app. It's great and i think you should not
limit the scope to only teachers since there are many instances where message
broadcasting is required. Doctors need to communicate with patients, church
leaders with their congregation, companies and utility services with their
customers. i think you are limiting the scope of the app.

------
atlbeer
I actually worry about startup's that don't generate revenue, especially tools
that people can grow dependent on. I know a few teachers but, I'm weary of
sharing this with them if you disappear in 6 months due to lack of funding.

Text message's, although cheap, are not free.

What are your plans for revenue and why not charge $2.99/month?

~~~
weaksauce
It's because they are charging $9.99 instead. If you look at the FAQ you will
see the pricing breakdown. It's only free to use for a limited number of
texts. There should be some text on the page that says something like, "free
to use for small classrooms and affordable plans for large ones."

~~~
kabuks
Thanks for the tip. Changed it on the front page and linked to the FAQ

------
dantiberian
I think the love heart under perfectly free might be sending the wrong message
to parents. The number one issue I think of when I think of teachers texting
students is inappropriate student teacher relationships.

------
sambeau
Have you considered sponsorship deals with a phone company? I could see this
being a way for phone companies to get their first customers:

 _"But, Mom, I_ have _to get a phone now!"_

~~~
rednaught
So for the parents who are already struggling to keep their own phone(or
perhaps unable to afford one) they now have to purchase one for their
child(ren)?

It would seem we're into some kind of transition phase where digital education
for K-12 will have to be completely furnished by school districts or this is
another class divide. Many can't afford phones or laptops for their children.
Where will the responsibility lie for this?

~~~
Fliko
It is simply another tool to help increase communication between teachers and
students, I can't dream up of a situation where phones would be required to be
used in a classroom.

With that in mind it might be worth it to enable a feature that will allow
teachers to also send an email to students who desire it, as to allow students
who don't have phones to be included as they can access the internet at school
(if they don't have the internet or a computer at home).

~~~
rednaught
Replace "phone" with a channel in unified communications and you have what is
already happening in the post pc era. Look at tablets that use something like
Totkumi's Line2 for a soft VOIP device over 3g/4g/wireless/voice and this is
where we're headed. The small, handheld device that is currently called a
phone(now smartphone) will in short order be the single device we use. Plug
the phone into your dock and you've got your computer(such as current
Motorolas).

Laptops and tablets are already being used in certain school districts and
required as such. Convincing the mobile phone providers that we only need IP
access and not expensive monthly phone bills is going to be one ugly battle.
Hence, my asking who's going to cover the subscription costs until this
becomes settled and normal. And relying on someone like Google to make this
"free" while becoming my child's identity provider is not OK.

------
redjuggler2012
Seriously, the texting feature didn't work!

~~~
kabuks
seriously, I would love to fix your problem. ping me.

------
lwhi
What happens if a kid doesn't have a phone?

~~~
sambeau
They will use it as a valid excuse to finally badger their folks into getting
them one.

------
chromedude
I have no idea how long this has been around, but there is another one that is
exactly the same: remind101.com

~~~
kabuks
remind101 launched during the imaginek12 demo day. which was exactly the same
day startup weekend started (when we started). They have a 3-4 month lead on
us, and about 3 times our users. I haven't met with them yet, but they seem
like a solid team and worth competitors.

~~~
chromedude
Great. I personally know one of the founders. I think it's a great idea, but I
definitely think they need competitors. Your design is definitely starting off
in the right direction.

------
ebaysucks
What's your plan for generating revenue?

~~~
icebraining
From the FAQ:

 _How much does it cost?

We want ClassParrot to always remain useful to you at the free level. The
first 500 credits (messages) are free. Every month we'll add another 200 free
credits to your account.

You can also get more by inviting your peers to use ClassParrot. We'll give
you 200 credits for each person you invite who starts using ClassParrot. We'll
also start them off with an extra 200 credits when they accept your
invitation.

If you need unlimited credits, our unlimited plan for teachers is: $9/month
(or $90/year) for unlimited texts and unlimited classes.

For schools (or other groups of teachers) we offer a bundled plan: $100/month
(or $1000/year) for unlimited use up to 20 teachers $200/month (or $2000/year)
for unlimited use and unlimited teachers _

------
raymondh
You already have a website up and running -- the market will review the idea
for you.

------
jyothidhar
cool idea but many schools have policies where the teacher /ta cannot reach
students on personal emails/phone other than school email

------
afdssfda
Good idea, but this on its own may not be that successful. Modern private
schools use a combination of Saas apps and email to get info to students and
parents. What you need to do is to find out what those major Saas solutions
are, and get in bed with them. Also, there is a potential problem if the
student replies to a text and replies to everyone that was texted to, which
can happen easily on some devices, so it would seem that you'd want to ensure
each text is separately sent.

~~~
kabuks
Each text is sent separately. And replies go back only to the teacher, who can
the reply directly to the student. Good point about the Saas apps out there.

