Instructure: Q&A

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #8 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with Brian Whitmer and Devlin Daley of Instructure

Q: What does your company do?
A: Instructure is changing the face of education. We have built a next-generation learning management system, Canvas, to replace the outdated and complicated systems colleges and universities currently use for grades, communication, turning in assignments, etc.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: Canvas is of the web. We integrate with other web services that students and teachers are already using to provide a simple, seamless education experience that not only allows communication but also encourages it. There aren’t many things better than improving teaching and learning and making it accessibly to more people to change the world.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: We have a giant picture of a banana, an over-sized sculpture of a human nose, and a yellow box of Nerds.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: – Validate your product before you write any code.
- Validate your product before you write any code.
- Validate your product before you write any code.

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: We’ve been very fortunate and our dream team and our team are the same. However, I would take advantage of a cloning device if you have one to borrow.

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Brian: Hiking (as if I had time for it)
Devlin: Basketball (my body thinks I’m suffering to win a game, it has no idea it’s also getting exercise)

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: Utah is the ideal cross-section of being a software innovation hotspot with access to quality institutions of higher learning and passionate about education.

We look forward to LaunchUp #8 and hearing more from Instructure!

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