AI Summary
5 min readTwo EdTech Startups That Solve Real Problems
Sarah Lacy, former journalist and founder of Chairman Mom, came on the podcast with two startup ideas she believes could each generate over a million dollars in revenue. Both are EdTech plays, but they target very different pain points. The first addresses a confidence crisis in adolescent girls. The second extends the reach of business authors through AI. Both are grounded in Lacy's own hard-won experience building and losing a company.
The Confidence Curriculum for Girls
Lacy's first idea emerged from the failure of Chairman Mom, her startup that created online courses for women with 90% completion rates and measurable results—like a negotiation course that produced 30% salary increases on average. The company changed tens of thousands of lives but could not scale to millions. The reason, Lacy says, was "women's internalized misogyny." She describes it as "falling into a pit wrestling with Gandalf" — she could not convince women they deserved more.
Her proposed solution: build the same thing for girls before they hit adolescence, when confidence drops off. She points to the "Run Like a Girl" campaign as evidence: pre-adolescent girls run all out, while older girls run in a way that mimics mockery. The internalized misogyny starts at adolescence.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Intro & Guest Welcome** - Host introduces Sarah Lacy, an "idea machine," and sets up the format: she will pitch startup ideas and they will discuss them.
- 2 (02:00) **Idea #1: Pre-MBA Confidence Program for Girls** - Sarah pitches a school-based program to teach entrepreneurship, negotiation, and self-worth to girls before they hit adolescence and lose confidence.
- 3 (09:03) **Debating the Delivery Model** - The host and Sarah discuss whether the program should be online, in-person, or a hybrid.
- 4 (16:32) **Go-to-Market & Monetization for Idea #1** - The discussion shifts to how to launch and fund the program.
- 5 (22:46) **Advice on Networking & Storytelling** - Sarah shares her two "superpowers" for success: networking and storytelling.
- 6 (31:14) **The Mark Zuckerberg Story** - Sarah recounts how she built a relationship with Mark Zuckerberg when he was 19 and Facebook was doubted by everyone.
- 7 (36:34) **Idea #2: AI Coach Bots for Authors** - Sarah pitches a business: creating AI-powered coaching bots based on popular non-fiction books to help readers apply frameworks daily.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Join me as I chat with Sarah Lacy, Co-Founder of The Best Book Store , as we discuss a variety of EdTech startup ideas. Sarah also shares her the lessons she learned from studying Mark Zuckerberg and her advice for networking and storytelling
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:46 Startup Idea 1: Pre-MBA Entrepreneurship Program for Tween Girls
23:53 Networking and Storytelling as Key Skills
31:13 Lessons Learned from Mark Zuckerberg
36:33 Startup Idea 2: AI-Powered Author Coaching Bots
1) Startup Idea 1: Pre-MBA Entrepreneurship Program for Tween Girls
Why it's HOT:
• Tackles confidence drop in adolescence
• Teaches negotiation, self-worth, ideation
• Potential to transform female leadership
Key features:
• Online curriculum for schools
• Real-world challenges with local businesses
• Focus on digital marketing, not outdated door-to-door sales
Monetization strategy:
• Sell to schools (public & private)
• Sponsorships from big brands (Nike, anyone?)
Pro tip: Use storytelling to sell to sponsors. Remember the water charity campaign? ONE story can lead to big numbers.
2) Startup Idea 2: AI-Powered Author Coaching Bots
Problem: People buy self-help books but struggle to apply the lessons long-term.
Solution: Daily prompts & coaching from an AI avatar of the author!
How it works:
• Personalized daily check-ins
• Reminders to apply book concepts
• Voice & look of the actual author
Potential authors to target:
• James Clear (Atomic Habits)
• Adam Grant
• Brené Brown
Business model:
• Partner with publishers
• Drive book pre-orders (10k = NYT Bestseller!)
• Offer exclusive access to early adopters
3) Zuckerberg Insight 👀
What made young Zuck unique? EXTREME HUMILITY + self-awareness.
"He knows when he doesn't know something, and he doesn't just go in to learn it. He gives himself... a position of extreme humility." - Sarah Lacy
4) Key takeaway: NETWORK + STORYTELLING = Startup success
Remember: It's not just WHO you know, but HOW you pitch your idea!
Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)
Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas
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Community Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses http://communityempire.co/
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