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A Marketer in the Classroom: Why Education Needs Strategy

EdTech Dots — Episode with Paulina Krukowska


The education technology sector is growing fast — but many EdTech products still fail long before reaching real classrooms. After speaking with hundreds of founders, teachers, and school leaders, one theme keeps repeating:


Most EdTech tools are built without understanding the actual needs of teachers and students.


In this episode of EdTech Dots, I talk with Paulina Krukowska — a senior digital marketing strategist with 15+ years of experience at global brands like H&M and Allegro, who now works directly inside Polish schools and universities.

She has a unique dual perspective: the mindset of a marketer and the daily reality of a teacher.


This combination turns out to be exactly what the EdTech ecosystem is missing.


🎥 Watch on YouTube:



EdTech’s Core Failure: Building Tools for Imaginary Problems

Across Europe, the US, and global education markets, EdTech startups often begin with a “big idea.”

But classrooms don’t need ideas. They need solutions.


Paulina sees the same mistake everywhere in the digital learning sector:

  • products designed without classroom validation

  • solutions solving theoretical problems, not practical ones

  • innovation that ignores teachers’ time, workload, and processes


Her advice:

“You can’t design educational technology from the outside. Talk to teachers. Watch their workflow. Solve something that actually hurts today, not in five years.”


This is how real adoption happens — not through features, but through relevance.

Curiosity: The Most Undervalued Learning Skill

Modern education talks endlessly about “21st-century skills,” but one skill rarely appears in EdTech product design:


Curiosity.


Paulina argues that curiosity drives both good learning and good technology adoption.

This is where marketing principles become essential to education:

  • attention

  • engagement

  • emotional relevance

  • storytelling

  • user-centered communication


If a tool doesn’t spark curiosity, neither students nor teachers will use it.

And this is precisely where effective marketing strategy becomes an educational strategy.

The Real Source of Teacher Burnout (Hint: It’s Not Students)

Teacher burnout is a global crisis — from Poland to the US, the UK, and beyond.

But the root cause is often misunderstood.


Paulina sees that administrative overload, not student behavior, drives exhaustion:

  • grading

  • documentation

  • repetitive tasks

  • outdated school systems

  • manual workflows


This is where AI tools and automation can make an immediate difference.

Schools don’t need futuristic models; they need small systems that save 20–30 minutes a day.


Reduce admin → reduce burnout → improve teaching.


This is the simplest ROI in EdTech today.

Why Most Education Technology Fails to Scale

EdTech founders often assume failure comes from lack of marketing budget or low demand.

But Paulina explains the real barrier:


Complexity.


Teachers will not adopt a platform that requires hours of onboarding. They will not use tools that break their workflow. They will avoid anything that increases cognitive load.


The winners in EdTech are usually not the most advanced — but the most intuitive.


Paulina calls this the 1% rule:

Build the 1% that matters the most. Remove the rest.


This is exactly how the world’s best digital products are built — and education is no different.


The Marketing Gap: “If It’s Good, They Will Come” (They Won’t)

A key insight from our conversation:

Education technology desperately underestimates marketing.


Founders believe schools will naturally “discover” great tools.

But schools are overwhelmed, understaffed, and risk-averse. Teachers don’t browse for new tools. Principals don’t run keyword searches.


Marketing is not optional. It is how you:

  • earn trust

  • clarify value

  • explain use cases

  • prove impact

  • reach the right decision-makers


Paulina highlights low-budget strategies that work extremely well in the EdTech space:

  • micro-influencers (teachers with 500–1000 followers)

  • short product explainers

  • targeted ads for a few euros a day

  • simple landing pages with clear messaging

  • value-first content for teacher communities


EdTech without marketing is invisible.

And invisible products don’t get adopted.


The ESG Opportunity: Why It Matters for EdTech

Across the EU — and increasingly in the US and Asia — ESG requirements are reshaping how institutions purchase technology.


Education is part of the “S” in ESG: social impact.


Paulina explains how EdTech companies can align with ESG goals:

  • teacher workload reduction

  • transparent impact reporting

  • sustainability-focused curricula

  • tools supporting circular economy education

  • compliance training for staff


Schools, universities, and public institutions will increasingly select tools that help them meet ESG obligations.


For EdTech founders, this is not a buzzword — it’s a competitive advantage.


What Drives Paulina: Real Change, Not Tech Hype

Despite her background in advertising, her motivation is deeply human:

“I want to create change that lasts — in classrooms, in factories, in systems. Not flashy campaigns. Real change.”


Her ability to navigate both the corporate world and the school system gives her a perspective EdTech rarely hears.

She understands user psychology, system constraints, regulation, and communication — all at once.


This is why her voice matters.

Final Thoughts on Education Strategy

For anyone building or implementing education technology — in Poland, Europe, or globally — this conversation is worth your full attention.


Paulina’s message is clear:

Education doesn’t need more tools.

Education needs strategy.


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