The following transcript has been edited for readability. Timestamps have been removed and minor transcription errors corrected. Speaker comments and context have been preserved.

Opening Remarks

Rich Portelance

Hello, this is Rich Portelance from EdGate, and today I'm really excited because we're with Conni Francini from Clarity Consulting, and we're going to be talking about accelerating into the education marketplace, specifically for edtech companies, because I know there's a lot of change going on out there in the space. Conni has over 20 years of experience; she was a classroom teacher, she worked on PD (professional development), and she started Clarity Consulting over four years ago because she saw that there was a real need, and as someone who's been there and done that, she has a lot to offer her clients, and she's been an especially wonderful resource for us at EdGate. So, I'm super happy to welcome Conni.

Conni Francini

Thanks for having me, Rich. I'm excited to have this conversation together–it’ll be fun.

Discussion

Rich Portelance

Me too. Thank you so much. So, I guess we're going to just kick off into a couple of questions. The first thing I want to ask you, Conni, is, talking about the landscape and some of the ways that things are changing in K-12, because that's going to help to affect change. And so, if the edtech company doesn't understand all these changes that are happening, they might not be up to speed, right? So, from your point of view, what are those things that are changing? 

Conni Francini

Well, I, you know, I think one of the things that folks are talking about a lot is the upcoming end of ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund) funding, right, which is creating a lot of uncertainty not only for edtech companies on the funding side, but also within schools and districts, you know, as far as what they're going to– what kind of money they're going to have, what they're going to be able to invest in, and recognizing that just as much as that funding is coming to an end, the challenges that we face in education–in classrooms–haven't changed, right? Those aren't going away just because the funding is going away. And after COVID, we probably have… Some of those challenges that were there before are really only amplified, right, coming over challenges. So, it is, you know, it is a really different time in education than, you know, than before COVID. Not just because of COVID, but because of the– sort of the, you know, wave of changes that have happened culturally and economically. 

But again, a lot of those same challenges that, you know, that I saw as a classroom teacher are still there, still existing, and, you know, there are still challenges with literacy and reading, there are still major challenges with math, things like teacher retention and burnout are huge, you know, districts are faced with a real teacher shortage–how do you do anything when you don't have teachers in your classrooms, right? So there's this whole landscape that I think is really important for edtech companies–especially who might come from outside of education–for them to really deeply understand that those very significant challenges exist today, because that definitely, you know, plays into everything else that goes on day-to-day, and any decisions that might be made for investing in new products and resources. 

Rich Portelance

Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense. I was reading an article from Digital Promise, and they were talking about building a list of approved products–so a certification process–and I thought that was really a smart thing to do on Digital Promise’s… from their point of view. But for the educators, my experience, you know, back 10 years ago or 12 years ago, I worked at a K-12– it was a private high school, and I served on the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools Commission on Technology (CAISCoT). The important thing about the Commission was that it was an aggregate of all of us technologists, and I was actually the only marketer on the panel, which was interesting, but they created a sense of… a kind of understanding of what these technology shifts were occurring, you know, what products were coming in that were worthwhile. 

And so, they made recommendations to the rest of the schools, and I found at that point that the educators very much had a follower mentality. If someone else approved it and if they thought it was legitimate, then they would say, “Okay, you know, we'll give it a try.” They were not going to be that early adopter. A lot of the edtech companies, right, and the founders, they’re early adopters–they are out there trying new things–their clients are not in this space. What's your perception of that?

Conni Francini

That’s a re- I had this almost– it's so funny that you said that. I had almost this exact conversation with an edtech founder earlier this week. 

Rich Portelance

Oh, interesting. 

Conni Francini

Who said, “We have this great solution,” right, “super innovative, and it really gets to the heart of solving a major literacy problem.” But she– but what the founder told me was, “It's so hard to get districts and schools to take us on because, you know, we're not yet proven,” right? I mean, she's like, “We see it in the work that we've done, but because we haven't sort of reached that broad, you know, market validation, it's risky to take something new. They would almost rather stick with something that's sort of known,” right? 

And it is kind of a… Having worked in schools and districts, I worked in the LA Unified School District, you know, one of the biggest school districts in the United States. The education system is really not set up for major innovation. That's not– this is not really what they're looking for; they're looking for something that's reliable, they're looking for something that's proven, they're looking for something that a nearby district with a similar, you know, student profile, or, you know, kind of a community profile that is very similar that's had good results with something, right? They're not looking for the next edgiest, you know, off-the-charts idea–they're looking for something they can count on. 

And that's really, you know, in opposition to what most edtech founders and companies are really all about, right? They're typically about innovation, and what's new, and it's– “We're cutting edge, and we're bleeding edge!” Not all, but a lot of them are really out there to be, you know, major innovators. And so, those two are often at odds, and I think that's something that's important for edtech founders to understand, you know, where their audience really is in terms of innovation and figuring out how to bridge that gap, right? 

There's nothing wrong with being innovative as long as that innovation brings about good outcomes, right, that are actually needed by, you know, schools and districts. As long as the outcome is something that's a priority that they want to invest in, then that innovation is great. But the idea of innovation in and of itself isn't to me– isn't necessarily the draw that they're looking for. We have these challenges, and we need something we can reliably count on to help us solve them. And not just the “something”, they're also looking for, you know, that real partnership in companies to implement something successfully, because that is a whole– that's a whole aspect in and of itself, is making sure that we can implement a solution effectively. So I do think there's a real point there about having that that validation and really kind of showing all of the ways that, you know, that we solve a problem, you know, we create this kind of outcome, or we make it easy for them to know that the product we've developed is going to add value to the school. So, you know, standards alignment is one of those, right? If we're not showing them, “Hey, you're going to invest in this resource, but we didn't really know whether it's aligned to standards or not, and it's for instructional use in the classroom, that's going to make it difficult for a decision-maker in a school or district to, you know, to invest in that solution. 

Rich Portelance

Yeah. You know, it led me to think about anchor points. You know, standards alignment is one of those anchor points. It's not the sexiest thing, but it's an anchor for, you know, knowing that it's a validation of the content that you're delivering is accepted within the system, and that's the same thing with what Digital Promise is trying to do with the credentialing. I think the RFP (request for proposal) process and following the protocols that schools put out there for knowing that your product is on the list and has been vetted to some extent, I– you know, sometimes those are tedious things to do, but they build assurance for the educator and for their team. 

So, if I'm an edtech company, I think that's– those are kind of three different avenues that provide that assurance for my end users or my client is, you know, okay, well, is the content well aligned? Is, you know, the product on their roadmap, or is it validated through their tech department? And do I have some kind of certification or credential in order to be, you know, kind of accepted more broadly, so I know it's accepted by my peers, right? 

Conni Francini

I definitely agree. I think there's a couple things that I've heard at conferences and, you know, keeping an eye on articles, and trends, and journals, and in conversations with folks, and I would say over the last year, I’ve heard a lot about results, reviews, and recommendations–I think that plays a big part of it. I think what you're talking about there with Digital Promise, and, you know, that speaks to that desire for decision makers to be able to see with confidence before they make a buying decision that, yeah, a resource has– you know, can actually deliver results. And it doesn't need to be, you know, you've grown four grade levels in reading. I mean, it could be, you know, teacher confidence; it could be student engagement in class; it could be… You know, some rating from, you know, parents about their involvement with the school, or their confidence in being able to feel like part of the community. Whatever that is, right, it doesn't necessarily have to be some dramatic academic change, but there really needs to be some results, and just as importantly, there needs to be some reviews and recommendations. Whether those are from entities broadly out there in the market, or from, you know, customers who have used it successfully who can speak to that directly, that certainly lends a lot to the validity piece. 

Rich Portelance

Yeah, I would– I would really agree with that. So, you know, all of this kind of looking at that landscape and understanding what the opportunities are to validate, what do you think that all means for the edtech company? You know, how can they make some changes in order to speed up their time to market? You know, looking at February 2024, I want to accelerate a little bit. What do you see those opportunities are?

Conni Francini 

I think about some of the conversations I've had with edtech founders in recent months, and I think one way to go is to make sure that they're really having a focused strategy in where they're selling, right? So, being a newer edtech company and, you know, trying to sell in all 50 states in the U.S. is– it's just not feasible, right? It doesn't mean that you can't sell if someone reaches out to you, but I think having more of a focus is really important, because that enables you then to meet the needs and the requirements of customers in, you know, a particular region or, you know, specific states that you might have kind of identified as focus areas. So, for example, I was talking with some executives at a tech company recently, and their product is sort of well suited for certain states, right? So as they're talking about this new offering they want to develop, one of the things that we talk about was, “Okay, so if you're going to develop this new solution, you're going to– you are probably best suited for these states, then you want to look at the standards in those states, and you want to make sure that you're aligned to those. Don't try to do all of them because you're not really going to focus there, but make sure that you really, deeply know those states, you know those standards, and you can speak to the particular challenges in those states. And that makes them hopefully better able to understand the market, you know, really speak to those needs, and then make sure they're really communicating the value and checking the boxes that are needed, like, do you– you know, do you have standards alignments for our state, right? Because if you're going to sell in a certain state, say, for California, for example, where I'm located, they're going to want to see their state standards alignment, right? They're not going to want to see something sort of broad and generic. So I think that focus is really important; I think that's one. 

Another challenge that I see often is with tech founders not getting out into classrooms. You know, when we talk about, you know, how well do you know the market, there's market trends, and there's funding, and, you know, standards and frameworks, and things like that. I think it's just as important for them to really be in, you know, classrooms, and on campus, and even walking the halls of a district office building so that they can really stay in tune with what they're talking about, you know, what's important to them, again, and find out what requirements they might have if they're talking about something like Digital Promise for some other product that they've invested in. Those opportunities, I think, are just really priceless to help figure out, you know, what the hurdles are that we haven't solved for yet, right? Because our customers will tell us–especially, you know, educators will tell you, you know, they want to teach, so they're happy to teach, and share, and tell you, you know, what you can do differently and better. And that's a good thing. You know, we should listen to them if that's our target market. 

So, I think those are probably two of the most common challenges that I come across. You know, every company is different.

Rich Portelance

We've been hearing a lot about these third-party reviews, which are a real burden to edtech companies. You know, having to go through, and after they align, make sure someone else validates it, so… I know the EdGate team has really put a focus on expediting that process. So, we built a really great process for bringing someone through quickly, efficiently, and delivering the documentation. So, some of the team members have delved into each of the states’ requirements, they've done some of that background work that I would recommend to an edtech company if you didn't have, you know, a resource like EdGate, to make sure you understood the groups that you needed to be part of, or the nonprofits, or the associations that you should align with within each of the states, because I agree that building that channel focus is super important. So, if you're focusing on a state and you're digging deep, you need to know those associations and so forth, and if you do need third-party review, to have that that process down so you can get there quickly, because the quicker you get to the market, the– you know, obviously the quicker you can get to revenue, which for a startup is critical. 

Conni Francini 

Right. And if that– having that documentation, having that evaluation is a key box requirement–you know, checking the box on the list–if that's a key requirement, then, you know, why wouldn't you do it? You know, why would you let– why would we want to keep that as a barrier? And oftentimes, it's not just one customer who would be looking for that. You know, that's a really– can be a really, really high-value sales tool, and we don't want to do anything that's going to inhibit, you know, that sales process. So if it is a requirement, the board's going to want to see–doing it sooner rather than later is great–and I think that's something– what you brought up is something that maybe a lot of edtech founders don't know about, is all the resources that are out there in the market who kind of help with these kind of other areas of helping a product to be market-successful. They may not have the capabilities and the expertise within their team, and that's okay. They probably don't want you to have to hire for it so they can look outside to some of the resources out here in the market who know it, can do it well, can do it accurately, can do it, you know, fast and be able to, again, help them check that box and keep those sales conversations moving along.

Rich Portelance

Well, certainly that's where having folks like yourself who have market experience comes to bear. You know, understanding who the players are and who the associations are in order to speed that time to market (TTM). I imagine with your experience, both in the classroom and as a consultant, you've run across and built some of those alliances yourself. 

Conni Francini

Yeah. I think having those great, trusted partners– I mean, I worked for about 14 years at an education solution company creating curriculum products, professional development, and edtech resources. So I think, you know, it's really important to know that there is a network of expertise out there–you can't be all things, you know, even in a much larger organization, you can't have all of those capabilities internally, and having great partners really, really matters. And actually finding good partners was one of the most challenging aspects of my role being at an educational solutions provider, because there are some folks out there who maybe, you know, don't have the real market expertise. 

It was really important for me and for my team to make sure that we partnered with folks who deeply understood the market, who really, really cared about quality because it mattered. You know, as we’re developing our products, our products were our babies, and it mattered to us, you know, how they came out in the end. We wanted to be able to develop something that we–especially those of us who were former classroom teachers like myself–would have used back in our classrooms. Again, if we were back in the classroom, we would say, “Yeah–” We would– We would choose to use this in the classroom because this actually works and makes a difference. And so, we wanted the same kind of level of, you know, integrity and ownership in the partners that we worked with. So we actually worked with a pretty small handful–EdGate was one of them at the time–and it makes a big difference when you've got some great resources on your team– externally on your team who can help really advance the organization–that's priceless–you can't get there on your own, so…

Rich Portelance

Yeah, you know, having, you know, I started up in edtech 10 years ago, so I've been down that pathway, and the cost to benefit ratio when you're talking about some of this stuff, you know, I had the mentality–and it's hard to get out of it that–I just can't spend that money or I don't want to spend that money because it doesn't seem like it's going to be, you know, directly product related. However, you know, I'll say to all your edtech founders and, you know, getting the right resources and someone who can accelerate you into the market quicker is invaluable within education because it's such a hard market to break into. There's so much red tape, and then trust is incredibly important, so, you know, having those resources is really critical. 

Conni Francini

It is, it is. The trust piece is so important, and I… We see that a lot in decision makers at, you know, at schools and districts, so this is– this is, as I tell people, the education industry is super different, and we're not selling a widget, and we're not looking on Amazon for the thing with the lowest price, and the fastest shipping, or the cheapest shipping cost–that's not how it works in education. Education, that's, you know, selling solutions, in particular edtech solutions, more so than maybe a more traditional, you know, curriculum resource. It really is about trust–that is a tremendously important thing for edtech founders to understand. 

And so that plays into the, again, the quality of what you're developing, how authentically does it really solve, you know, work in the classroom? Is this really going to work in kindergarten, you know? Because a kindergarten class is different from middle school. If you don't understand the difference between those, and your solution doesn't really address those differences, it's just not gonna, you know, it's not going to work. So, I think that speaks to the importance of having other folks, you know, kind of as part of that extended team who you can trust to deliver quality that's accurate and that really, truly meets the requirements and the needs of our customers, because their trust is everything, right? We want to help make their lives– I like to say, “We want to be the ‘Easy Button’, let's make their lives easier!” 

Rich Portelance

Yes. 

Conni Francini

So if it feels risky to invest in your edtech product, how do we make it easier for them, right? What are the things we can do that ease that sense of stress and burden for them, and let's just– let's go do those things and kind of get that hurdle out of the way for them. 

Rich Portelance

That's great advice, really. It resonates. I wish I knew that 10 years ago. So, the next question I have is, what– you know, we talk about the– we talk about the things that they can do now, but what about in the future? Are there things that edtech companies can do to future-proof themselves in this marketplace? Because it is a volatile marketplace–it's ever-changing. 

Conni Francini

It's evolving a lot. You know, I think… With the way the education landscape is today, I think it's really, really important for edtech companies to understand the priorities and those big challenges, and know that is what's top of mind. And to do what they can–we're not trying to, you know, lie and say something does something when it doesn't–but to really do what they can to, you know, maybe evolve their product in some way, or maybe even change how they talk about their solutions, and even in implementation and support, making sure that you're really addressing some of those common challenges, right? 

So one example is teacher retention and burnout, right? So, there's a ton of edtech companies that have nothing directly to do with teacher retention and burnout, but making a product easy to implement, making sure teachers don't experience more frustration when they start using your product when it doesn't, you know, that it doesn't take 17 steps to be able to log in and get started, that it doesn't need six hours of professional development, right, to get familiar with it just at a surface level. While it's not directly addressing that problem, it's recognizing this is real, this is what's happening out there for our customers, and we need to make sure that we're– whatever we're doing is somehow supporting that, you know, in some way. So I think staying in tune with what… I'm really customer-centric, so we– I think we can set ourselves up for success going forward to make sure that we're staying in touch with those priorities. 

And then I think listening to them, you know, listening to our customers when they tell us something is too complicated, when they tell us something isn't, you know, intuitive to use, when they tell us they, you know, are looking for these certain requirements in order to move potential proposals up to the board for approval. If we really listen to them, if we're really meeting their needs–even in all this uncertainty and with, you know, changes in funding and everything–I think that can still position edtech companies to be in the best position possible, because they actually understand their customers, and are hopefully making the changes and responding to the things that they need. Because otherwise, you're just one of, you know, 200 emails they're getting each day, and that's not where anybody wants to be, right? You don’t want to be an email. So, yeah, I think those are the two things that can really help them stay afloat and, hopefully, really, you know, grow and get a bigger reach in the market, and help them be more successful. 

Rich Portelance

Well, that's, you know, I think to that point, it's one of the reasons why Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which is kind of– if you're a tech founder, that's, you know, a lot of mindset is around, “I want to be a SaaS company because the profit margins are high,” but that whole model doesn't play in education, because there is such a high-touch requirement, and you have to understand the market, they have to understand and trust who you are, as well as your product. So, it's really a tech plus service model. I don't know what the acronym would be, but it's different, it's not Software-as-a-Service, it's service and software that you– so, just kind of having that mentality shift that, you know, if you don't have people that that can speak the language, whether they partners like us or yourself, or they’re your salespeople or frontline people that understand the classroom, and the requirements, and the pain points that are existing within those environments, because you just pointed out a bunch of them, and I think your teaching experience is so vital as, you know, we have this conversation. 

You know, from a classroom perspective the challenges on a daily basis. I mean, we hear about it from an external point of view, you know, teachers are challenged, they're, you know, they're underpaid and overworked, but a lot of that's just kind of chatter. You have, you know, real-life experience, and so, from, you know, from sitting in that seat, if you're kind of going back to your teaching days and looking through that lens, how do you view it from there, and how can that inform edtech companies and what they're doing? 

Conni Francini

Again, I would just really encourage edtech founders, and even, you know, folks on the team–my own team–everybody went. Junior designers, you know, assistant editors, everybody on my team had to get out into a classroom. Some more frequently than others, right, but everybody had to understand what a kindergarten classroom looked like, what the dynamics in the middle school classroom looked like, and it made them better at their job; it helped them have more empathy and understanding that informed the product. And I think that is part of what enabled us to create products that, you know, people would hug us for. You know, we were out– we were out visiting on campuses, and that's a great feeling. 

And I want to go back to what you shared, I love your acronym–you should coin that! It is “service with software”, service with software alongside it, but it really is service first rather than being software forward, because we– I mean, I've heard that over and over again at conferences when superintendents, and, again, you know, district administrators, these, you know, big decision makers, when they're talking about what they're looking for in a solution provider, in particular, “edtech”. They say over and over, and over, and over again, they have to understand who we are and, you know, what our priorities are, what's in our strategic plan; you know, they need to really deeply understand education. 

You know, don't email me on the first day of school; don't stop by on the first day of school and expect that, you know, that I'm gonna talk to you. It's the first day of school, you know? It just doesn't work that way! So, you know, that, and they've said, “We don't want to just turn over a PO (program outcome) and, you know, and get access to something.” They have shared, “We want to have a partner who's going to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work right alongside us.” If we're going to invest in an edtech platform, there's, you know, again, a huge curve to implementation and gaining buy-in, there's going to be teacher resistance because it's new and it's one more thing they have to learn, it feels like, you know, an extra added on top. Right, wrong, or otherwise, that's how they're going to feel. Why? Because there's probably a teacher shortage, and, you know, and there's social-emotional challenges, and, you know, who knows what other challenges are already happening, and your platform isn't going to be top of their list.

So, you know, the superintendents are really looking for partners, and that comes from that service, that relationship, and that trust that we can offer them–or not–but hopefully that's what we're going to be offering them, and I think that kind of speaks to, you know, where I was talking about really listening to them and understanding them. If we put them at the center and, you know, make the changes that they're asking for, and answer the questions that they have, and, you know, solve the needs that they have, that's going to put us in a great position. Otherwise, an idea is just an idea. 

Rich Portelance

Yeah, you know, we're going to go forward, and we're gonna coin “Ed-SaS” today, but it's “Ed-SaS”; there's not two a’s, it's just “education service and software”. And so, that's Conni's and my trademark. 

Conni Francini

Let's trademark it! Do it! 

Rich Portelance

But, no, you know, I thank you, and I could talk to you forever, Conni. I think this is, you know, a really wonderful conversation. I do want to throw you a little bit of a curveball and ask you your top three resources, books, or conferences that you would recommend to someone in edtech that's trying to, you know, develop and accelerate into this marketplace.

Conni Francini

Top three books, conferences, events… Goodness, there… Gosh, there's a lot. I would say– 

Rich Portelance

You can just pick three things; you don't have to go through and make three for each of those categories. 

Conni Francini

Just three things. Okay, so I'll say, I mean, ASU+GSV (Arizona State University + Global Silicon Valley) is really, you know, the place for what's cutting edge, and the movers and the shakers, and there's just so much great networking, and I think it's a really fun conference. 

On the flip side of that, you know, staying a little bit more grounded, in particular for any instructional solutions, I think ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) is a great conference–there's a really good mix at that conference, not only of, you know, solutions and resources out there on the floor, but, you know, a lot of great sessions and things that can help edtech founders keep more in touch with that. 

And then the other thing that I would say is– and I'll be a little more generic, but for wherever they are based and located, or wherever one of their core states is, where they're focusing their marketing and sales, is to get out to one of the state conferences there. So, if they are selling a science solution, you know, a reading solution, go to the state conferences for that particular, you know, area of focus if you have one in your state. It's a little more intimate, you're going to get a little bit closer to the market, and they can be… well, while they don't have the numbers of a of a national show, they can be really, really great places to have conversations and really, you know, kind of build your community. 

Closing Thoughts

Rich Portelance

Yeah, no, that's terrific, thank you. And I would say, one of the things that's kind of a “top-of-mind” thing here right now is that there's a shift from concepts, which is the basis for the EdGate taxonomy–when we do alignment, we base it on concepts, and that helps us to connect many states quickly. There's a shift going on right now from concepts to skills, and I want to throw that out there to the community, because if anybody's listening that's in edtech, the transition to workforce is dramatic–I think we're going to see a lot of things happening. You know, students coming out of high school and going directly to the workforce. And so, this idea of how do we bake skills in to– and not to say replace, but they should be at the same level as concepts that students learn certain things–they learn certain skills–and then we can extrapolate out from there on what they need to learn to be effective in whatever they choose to do. So I just want to throw that out there, and any thoughts or comments on that, Conni? 

Conni Francini

Talk about innovation, I think, you know, workforce and, you know, anything beyond high school is really, you know, there's a lot of change and transformation that can be happening in that space in particular. I think that whole area of the market is just primed for a huge transformation, and I'd love to see it myself. I have one college graduate, one in college, and one in high school, and I would love to see some new things happening out there, and work for us and beyond K-12. So, I look forward to hearing about that conversation!

Rich Portelance

Well, that's going to be an upcoming topic for sure. So, Conni, thank you for being on the podcast today; I really appreciate it. If someone wants to get a hold of you, how would they do that? 

Conni Francini

Well, they can follow me on LinkedIn: it's “Conni Francini”, so they both end with an i, which makes it easy to remember. Connect with me on LinkedIn, or visit the website; it's ClarityConsultingInc.com.

Rich Portelance

Wonderful. Conni, thank you for your time today. 

Conni Francini

Thanks, Rich.