Sirkoi
Named it, designed the logo, and built the early product for a Rate-My-Professor-style startup — an early lesson in product-market fit.
Last updated on
2024 · Exited
What
- A startup founded by friends at Colby and Pomona, originally a Rate My Professor for Bangladesh.
- I named it, designed the logo, created the user journey, did the initial UI mockups in Figma, and built the website.
- All of this was done pre-AI, hand-coded.
Why I left
- Only two universities in Bangladesh (NSU and BRAC) actually let students choose their professors — the model didn't map onto how the rest of the country's universities work, and I didn't think the market was there yet.
- I left to focus on other work rather than keep building around that gap.
- The team later explored an AI-assisted approach to generating IAL/IB study question banks. My instinct was that generating exam-quality questions needs real pedagogical expertise — I'd have leaned toward a curated question database with AI matching content to student weaknesses rather than generating questions outright. That product-judgment instinct is one I've come back to since, in how I think about LabKit and ResearchNet.
Fieldkit OSS
An opinionated, reproducible tech stack for nonprofits and student organisations. DAY is the live proving ground.
Auctus Admissions Website Redesign
Built a complete visual and operational redesign of Auctus's site before applying for their fellowship. Got rejected on grades; they plagiarised the work.