YC
Keith Schacht and Doug Peltz on What Traction Feels Like - at YC Edtech Night
@ Y Combinator
11/27/17
Takeaways
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
I'm Doug from Mystery Science, and I taught elementary and middle school science for seven years before joining a startup in San Francisco.
KS
Keith Schacht
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
I started a couple of startups and then joined Facebook before leaving to start Mystery Science with Doug.
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
Mystery Science is an interactive curriculum that helps elementary teachers teach science, especially since many lack formal training in the subject.
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
We have active teachers using Mystery Science in more than 10% of elementary schools in the U.S.
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
The idea for Mystery Science came from our shared passion for explaining science and technology to others, especially after seeing the disconnect in how science is taught in schools.
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
We initially thought we were targeting science specialists, but we found that elementary teachers, who often feel unprepared to teach science, were actually the ones who needed our help.
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
We realized that elementary teachers were excited about finished lessons and needed support in teaching science, which led us to focus on creating a curriculum for them.
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
When we finally found a product that resonated with elementary teachers, it felt like we had traction, and we knew we were on the right path.
KS
Keith Schacht
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
I remember one moment when we realized we had traction; we got about 15,000 signups in a day after running a small ad on Facebook about Mystery Science.
KS
Keith Schacht
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
We didn't know we were competing against big companies like McGraw Hill and Pearson, and that ignorance allowed us to pursue our vision without fear of failure.
KS
Keith Schacht
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
We initially thought we were building a supplemental resource for teachers, not realizing the distinction between supplemental and curricular resources.
KS
Keith Schacht
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
The secret sauce for us was creating something that teachers and kids love, which leads to viral word-of-mouth and teachers advocating for our product to their principals.
KS
Keith Schacht
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
When we decided to join Y Combinator, we were already profitable and saw it as an opportunity to scale our team and improve our fundraising efforts.
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
The talks and mentorship at Y Combinator exceeded my expectations, providing clarity on our business and refining our strategy.
DP
Doug Peltz
11/27/17
@ Y Combinator
I was inspired to leave my teaching job for a startup because I realized that I could reach a much larger audience and influence science education on a national scale.