The Problem (Pain Level: 7/10)
Every semester, students receive syllabi from multiple courses as PDFs or documents.
Current problems:
- Unstructured documents: Each professor uses different formats
- Manual entry required: Inputting assignments and exam dates to calendars one by one
- Missed deadlines: Easy to miss important due dates
- Difficult overview: Hard to see schedules across all courses at once
Discovered on Reddit: “Built an AI tool that turns messy syllabi into organized dashboards - syllabi.dev”
Target Market
- Primary: Global (US college students first)
- Segment: College students, high school students, educational institutions
- Estimated TAM: 20 million US college students
The education AI market is growing rapidly with increasing demand for student productivity tools.
What is SyllabusAI?
SyllabusAI is a tool that automatically parses uploaded syllabi using AI to organize assignments, exams, and schedules into a dashboard.
Key Features
- AI document parsing: Auto-extract schedules from PDF, Word, images
- Unified dashboard: All course schedules at a glance
- Calendar sync: Google Calendar, Apple Calendar integration
- Notification system: Assignment/exam D-day alerts
- Priority analysis: AI sorts by importance
Competitive Analysis
| Competitor | Price | Key Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Syllabus | B2B | Institution-focused, not for individual students |
| Notion | Free/Paid | Manual input required |
| Canvas LMS | Institution subscription | Requires professor setup |
| Google Calendar | Free | Manual input required |
Market Status: BLUE_OCEAN - No AI-based syllabus tools for individual students
Differentiation Opportunity: Direct B2C student targeting, AI auto-parsing
MVP Development
Tech Stack
- Frontend: Next.js, React, TailwindCSS
- Backend: Node.js, TypeScript, FastAPI
- Database: PostgreSQL, Supabase
- AI: OpenAI API (GPT-4 Vision for PDF)
- APIs: Google Calendar API
MVP Features (20-24 weeks)
- Syllabus upload (PDF, images)
- AI parsing and schedule extraction
- Unified dashboard view
- Google Calendar sync
- Basic notification features
Tech Stack Fit: 9/10
Suitable if you have AI API integration and web development experience.
Revenue Model
- Model: Freemium
- Price Range: $2.99-$4.99/month
- Projected MRR:
- 6 months: $200-$500
- 12 months: $1,000-$3,000
Monetization Strategy
- Free: Up to 2 courses, basic dashboard
- Pro ($2.99/mo): Unlimited courses, calendar sync, notifications
- Semester Pass ($9.99/semester): Discount package
Note: Student Market Characteristics
- High price sensitivity
- Strong viral effect (friend referrals)
- Surge at semester start, decline during breaks (seasonality)
Risk Analysis
| Risk | Level | Mitigation Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | LOW | Leverage AI APIs |
| Market | MEDIUM | Price-sensitive students, seasonality |
| Execution | MEDIUM | Diverse formats by university/country |
Who Should Build This
- Those interested in the education sector
- Anyone wanting AI document processing experience
- Those wanting to experience viral marketing
- Developers seeking B2C experience
Marketing Strategy
- TikTok/Instagram student influencer collaborations
- Reddit r/college, r/university
- Concentrated marketing 2 weeks before semester start
- University club/student council partnerships
If you’re building this idea or have thoughts to share, drop a comment below!