The Secret Playbook to EdTech Sales with Starbridge CEO Justin Wenig

May 21, 2025

Justin Wenig, Founder and CEO of Starbridge, discusses how outdated procurement processes hinder EdTech innovation. He highlights the 'illusion of competition' in RFPs and shares tactics for startups to navigate these hurdles. Discover how AI is reshaping sales strategies and fostering transparency in public sector purchasing. Wenig offers insights on building relationships while integrating tech for effective outreach, ultimately envisioning a fairer procurement landscape that empowers new players in the education market.

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ANECDOTE

Journey from CourseDog to Starbridge

Justin Wenig founded CourseDog to solve his own frustration with university class enrollment.
CourseDog grew to serve over 300 institutions, culminating in a nine-figure exit, inspiring Starbridge to tackle procurement challenges.

INSIGHT

The Illusion of Procurement Competition

School procurement suffers from an "illusion of competition" where most RFPs favor incumbents rather than true competition.
Complex rules and incentives create barriers that protect big businesses and disadvantage small and innovative startups.

INSIGHT

System Rigged Against Small Businesses

The procurement system is structurally rigged against small and minority-owned businesses despite legislative incentives.
These businesses are often used as tokens by incumbents to gain points, rather than genuine partners, limiting true innovation.

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This is a very special episode featuring our sponsor, Starbridge. Justin Wenig, Founder and CEO of Starbridge, joins us to discuss how school spending creates barriers to EdTech innovation. Justin previously co-founded Coursedog, scaling it to over 300 institutions and a nine-figure exit. With Starbridge, he’s now helping EdTech businesses navigate public sector procurement using AI to identify and close their best-fit leads.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why broken procurement processes are blocking EdTech innovation.
The “illusion of competition” in RFPs and how incumbents stay ahead.
The hidden rules of public sector procurement.
Practical go-to-market strategies for EdTech startups trying to break through.
How AI is reshaping sales, procurement, and personalization in EdTech.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:05:16] The hidden “unwritten rules” of school purchasing that keep new companies out.
[00:13:17] Why most RFPs aren’t competitive and how this harms innovation.
[00:23:26] Justin’s blueprint for redesigning the school procurement system.
[00:29:50] How Starbridge uses AI to help EdTech companies find and close the right leads.
[00:34:48] The future of sales: AI-powered outreach vs. human relationship building.
[00:43:09] Can AI finally bring fairness and transparency to public sector purchasing?

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🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.