Philip Cutler: The GTM Story of Paper ($1.5B Valuation)

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.