ANIRUDDHA

Eduwave AI

Conversational AI for EdTech

AI for EdTech

Pitching in for Y-combinator in accordance to U.S. DoE guidelines 2025

MAY 2025

Learn more

SEPTEMBER 2023

Introduction

When we began Eduwave AI, we weren’t just building another ed-tech product.

We were asking a harder question:
What would learning feel like if a child had a personal tutor who understood them; not just their grades?

My Role

FOUNDING PRODUCT DESIGNER

Over nine months, I led the end-to-end product design journey from 0→1 platform UX, to a scalable design system, a public-facing website, and an investor-ready pitch deck.
This is the story of how we turned a complex idea into a simple, lovable experience.

TOOLS

Design Process- Hyper Agile Loop

Stand-up

Ideating, discussing user interview detail, and finalizing design strategy were some things discussed daily.

Iterate

Building product screens served as the top priority based on the wireframing suggestion.

Test

Designs were uploaded for a usability test for student-centricity & platform readiness, validating a potential flaw.

Collaboration

😮 Discovery & Insights

The Problem — One-Size Doesn't Fit All

"We sat beside our users — literally."

"8 students, 6 parents, and 4 teachers helped us understand where learning platforms fail to connect."

"From hours of observation, one theme stood out: personalization isn't a feature — it's a feeling of being remembered."

🎒

Students said:

"It should feel like someone cheering for me."

Drop-off happens when content feels robotic.

👨‍👩‍👧

Parents said:

"Just show me what my child learned today."

Overcomplex dashboards block comprehension.

🧑‍🏫

Teachers said:

"Less admin, more insight."

They want quick overviews, not endless metrics.

Collaboration

💁🏻 Team Structure

What I did for Eduwave

Key Innovations

Whiteboard that Sparks Curiosity

We created a magic whiteboard that enables a student to get an answer for every appearing WHY!

Child’s Growth, in Real Time

Parent's get real-time insights into their child’s performance, see what they’re learning, and discover exactly how they perceive the world and not a dashboard with random charts.

Smarter teaching with Eduwave

Built for classrooms that thrive on curiosity. Eduwave lets teachers assign pre-learning tasks, personalize lessons, and track each student’s pace.

From Principle → to Product Bet

Approach

From Principle → to Product Bet

Approach

🧩

Onboarding Fix

+4.2 pts activation

🎨

Wavey Design System

–38% handoff errors

💬

Magic Whiteboard

+22% session time

🏝️

Reward Island

+28% parent retention

⚡️

FIGMA MCP -VS CODE

FIGMA MCP -VS CODE

+20% faster delivery

My Approach

Fix 1: Playful Onboarding

Redesigning playful onboarding to reduce friction and improve activation rates.

We observed that a large number of users dropped off during the profile setup. The form felt like work. By breaking it into a conversational flow with progressive disclosure, choose child avatar & visual feedback.

Fix 2: The Magic White Board

An infinite canvas where children co-create with AI, visualizing concepts through conversation.

The whiteboard became our most-used feature within two weeks of launch. Children spend an average of 18 minutes per session, 3x longer than
traditional lesson formats.

The whiteboard became our most-used feature within two weeks of launch. Children spend an average of 18 minutes per session, 3x longer than traditional lesson formats.

Before

After

Before

After

Fix 3: The Reward Island

Gamifying progress without turning learning into a transaction

The Reward Island & Leaderboard sparked healthy competition among students with increasing levels & awards. To make this possible, multiple rounds of iteration and active nudges were implemented. We also placed a Reward and Point System in place and added title decorations.

The whiteboard became our most-used feature within two weeks of launch. Children spend an average of 18 minutes per session, 3x longer than traditional lesson formats.

Explorer Badge

First lesson completed

Curious Mind

10 questions asked

Helper Hero

Helped a peer learn

Iteration 3: The Reward Island

Before

After

Before

After

Reward Island wasn't about points — it was about celebrating learning moments. Each badge tells a story of curiosity, persistence, or collaboration.
An island that grows as children learn, with new areas unlocking based on their interests.

Fix 4: User Tests & Iterations

MVP Build and After

Eduwave AI builts it's MVP flow with these iterations and testing and took the same product to a16z at SF Tech Week, and results were
✅ a16z Final Round, ✅ Active Investment Deals, ✅ SF Teck week Traction