In December, I wrote about launching a classroom management tool, getting 60 visitors, and zero signups. I guess it was one version of iterating, but I did take a break to understand and pause to get more information.
This is what that pause taught me after two months and what's different now.
Why I Stopped
I'd like to say I took a strategic break to reflect and regroup. The truth is simpler. Working on a project for a long time, and really believing in it only to get very little feedback can be taxing. I decided to take a break, go on vacation and look at it later. So the project was in limbo while I took a much needed break.
What I Did Before Stopping
Before I went quiet, I actually did a lot. The zero signups in December gave me a clear list of problems, and I worked through most of them.
The landing page got rewritten. I noticed that potential users wanted the site to be clearer so I reviewed and rewrote the landing page copy. Additionally I added a demo class so a user could play around with the tool. Then at the bottom of the landing page, I added some FAQs which gently explains why this isn't ClassDojo. The purpose of the tool was simpler, to give students cute avatars, make teacher lives easier and keep everyone engaged and organised. I removed the payment indicators entirely. Moved the whole site to open beta. Added Google sign-up so creating an account takes a couple of seconds.
I also published four blog posts. Teaching topics, practical stuff, with the tool woven in naturally. Not "BUY MY PRODUCT" energy. More like "here's how I handle this in my classroom, and here's what I use."
By the time I paused, the site was a different thing from what those 60 Reddit visitors saw in December.
The Avatar Upgrade
This is the part I'm most proud of.
The avatars were always the heart of the tool. That's where it started. If you remember my students were annoyed that their ClassDojo characters all looked the same as their friends'. I wanted each kid to have something that felt like theirs.
In January, I upgraded the entire avatar system. Better designs. More variety. More personality. The kind of characters students actually get excited about choosing.
I'm biased, obviously. But my students light up when they see their avatars on screen. That reaction is the whole reason this exists.
What's Different Now
The tool is in a genuinely different place from December.
- Core features are complete: avatars, points, rules, random picker, timers, attendance, reports, seating arrangements
- The demo is live so anyone can try it without committing
- Sign-up is fast and frictionless
- The blog is active
- The avatar system has been upgraded
- I use it every day in my own classroom
- Payment integration is built but paused—beta means free for now
The Notion board has about 20 tasks left. All nice-to-haves. The core product works. It does what I built it to do.
Total cost so far: still about $11.
What Two Months Away Taught Me
When I came back to the project this week, I realised how much I had learned over the last 2-3 months while making the tool.
In December, I was building in reaction to the zero signups. Fixing things fast. Trying to prove it could work so there was an urgency that wasn't entirely healthy.
Now it feels different because I know what this tool is and what it isn't. I can also clearly define who the tool will help so I'm not scrambling for people to use it. They will probably find it soon, and that will be amazing.
Where I Actually Am
Let me be honest about the numbers.
- MRR: $0
- External users: 0
- Teachers who've seen it and seemed to like it: a few colleagues
- Teachers I've directly asked for structured feedback: none
That last one is the real gap because I've been building in a vacuum. Using it myself, improving it based on my own classroom experience, but not putting it in front of other teachers and asking the uncomfortable question: would you actually use this?
I know why I've avoided it and that is because showing someone something you built and asking "is this good?" is vulnerable. Especially when you care about it.
But a tool that only I use isn't a product, and I genuinely do want to go through the adventure of making this a product that helps as many people as possible.
The Next Phase
So here's the plan.
I'm going to put this in front of other teachers from online communities where I can share it, get honest feedback, and learn from people who have no reason to be polite about it.
That's just three communities and three posts over the next few weeks. The message is straightforward: I'm a teacher. I built a simpler alternative to ClassDojo. It's free in beta. There's a demo you can try without signing up. Tell me what you think.
If 10-20 teachers try it and give real feedback, I'll know what to build next. If they try it and bounce, I'll know something important too.
What I'm Not Doing
I'm not building more features yet. The 20 tasks on the Notion board can wait. Features built without user feedback are guesses and I've guessed enough.
I'm not stressing about monetisation. The payment system is ready when the time comes. Right now, the only currency that matters is feedback.
I'm not setting a deadline for success. This isn't a startup with a runway. It's a side project so it can take the time it needs.
The Bigger Thing
Building this tool has given me something I didn't expect.
When I started in September, I thought I was building a classroom app. Five months later, I realise I was also rebuilding something in myself. The part that makes things. The part that solves problems. The part that sees a system that isn't working and thinks, "I could fix that."
The tool might find its audience or it might not. Either way, I'm building again and it's really fun this time.
The Lesson (Again)
Last time I said: the first attempt rarely works, but it teaches you what the second attempt needs to be. I still believe that. But I'd add something.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for a project is walk away from it for a while. It turns out that perspective needs space and time.
If you're a teacher and want to try a simpler classroom tool, it's free during beta. And if you're building something of your own and you hit a wall—it's okay to stop. The wall will still be there when you're ready. And you might see a door in it that you couldn't see before.
If you'd like to try the tool or follow along with the journey, sign up here.