Welcome to another episode of Unicorn Builders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Philip Cutler, CEO and Founder of Paper, an edtech company that has raised $390 Million in funding.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

• Transition from Educator to Entrepreneur: Philip Cutler shares his journey from being a classroom teacher to founding Paper, driven by the desire to support students needing extra academic help.
• Initial Solutions and Pivots: The early days of Paper focused on leveraging technology for remote tutoring. Insights from students led to a pivot from video conferencing to a chat-based tutoring model, which saw higher engagement.
• First Customer Success: By targeting school districts in Southern California, Paper secured its first customers, Laguna Beach Unified and Irvine Unified, through direct engagement and understanding local needs.
• Growth Strategy: Paper's growth was accelerated by moving the team closer to its customers, allowing for better support and understanding of the market, resulting in the acquisition of numerous school districts.
• Market Penetration and Product Development: With 700 school districts served, Paper continuously evolves its educational support system (ESS) by integrating various tools to support diverse student needs.
• Navigating COVID-19: The pandemic was a critical turning point. Instead of cutting back, Paper invested in innovation, resulting in substantial growth as the need for educational technology surged.