{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Boyz of Edtech | K–12 Education Insights","title":"From Lonely Cliff to Shared Hill: Rethinking How EdTech Founders Build and Scale","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2630,"description":"In this episode of the Boys of EdTech, the crew is joined by Michael Narea, CEO and General Partner at the Transcend Fellowship, for a deep and thought-provoking conversation on what it really takes to build, sustain, and scale in edtech today.\nMichael shares insights from over 12,000 one-on-one conversations with founders, revealing a powerful pattern he calls the “lonely cliff” where many founders lose their original vision under pressure from markets, customers, and expectations. He introduces the concept of the “shared hill,” a new way of building companies rooted in authentic vision, long-term partnerships, and collective growth.\nThe conversation dives into why traditional edtech sales and growth models are breaking down, especially in a world where AI is rapidly commoditizing products. Michael emphasizes that trust has been eroded in the market and that founders must now lead with vision, not just features, to create meaningful differentiation.\nThe group explores a new approach to building in edtech, centered on co-creation with districts and partners rather than transactional selling. From replacing demos with insight-driven conversations to designing long-term transformation partnerships, Michael outlines a practical framework for founders to build durable revenue and real impact.\nThe episode also tackles the realities of funding and scaling, including the “missing middle” problem in edtech investing. Michael shares alternative pathways to growth through strategic partnerships, revenue-based financing, and aligned distribution models, challenging the assumption that venture capital is the only path forward.\nConnect with the Boyz\nRick Fernandez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rick-fernandez-40692434/\nMatthew Millstein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-millstein/\nJacob Kantor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejacobkantor/\nRyan Patenaude: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanpatenaude/\nJeff Piontek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffpiontek/\nKey Moments\n01:20 What...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/wkLqTp5mkY2lrJRZTIPFUj-eapGDdxUdGrVrmDFKhCs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hZTQx/YmRlN2E0ZTQzNTEy/ZmQzNjQxNzQzY2Uz/NjYxYS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}