Why LoopNest failed
My EdTech startup ran for a year. Here’s what went wrong and what I’d do differently.
LoopNest ran from May 2025 to April 2026. Then I shut it down.
It started with a job I didn’t take. I had applied for a role at a well-known EdTech company, and when the offer came, the terms didn’t match what I wanted. I said no. Walking away from it, I kept thinking about one question: if I believe I can teach and build, why am I trying to join someone else’s platform instead of making my own?
That question became LoopNest.
What went wrong
The honest answer is simple. The idea had potential, but I didn’t have what it takes to build an EdTech company. Three things were missing.
People. An EdTech platform needs teachers, content creators, developers, marketing and support, all at once. I was trying to cover most of those roles myself while studying and running Proxima IT. Every part of the business got a little of my time and none of it got enough.
Experience. I knew how to build things. I didn’t yet know how to run a product: how to find the first users, how to decide what to build next, how to say no to good ideas that we couldn’t afford.
Money. I funded it myself. That kept me independent, but it also meant every decision was limited by what I could pay for that month. A product that needs a year of steady investment can’t survive on whatever is left over.
What I’d do differently
- Start smaller. One course, one audience, one channel, done properly, before building a platform.
- Find the team first. I’d look for one or two people who care about the problem as much as I do before writing any code.
- Count the real cost. Before starting, write down how many people and how much money the first year needs. If I can’t cover it, change the plan, not the numbers.
What I kept
Closing LoopNest didn’t feel like a lesson at the time. It felt like failing. A few months later, it’s the experience I use most. I run Proxima IT and Nawabi Lungi differently because of it: smaller bets, clearer plans, and more honesty with myself about what I can actually do.
No classroom taught me that. LoopNest did.