The Problem
I’ve always been intrigued by the intersection of technology and education. While exploring the EdTech space, one problem stood out to me: most coaching institutes don’t have their own app. On top of that, the companies offering to build apps for them charge a hefty price, making it nearly impossible for small or medium-sized institutes to afford.
That’s when I realized — there had to be a better way.
So, I started thinking, what if there was a way for coaching institutes to register with a service, and after that, the app would become theirs? The skin, color scheme, and even features could be customized according to their needs and the plan they choose. This would give institutes the flexibility they need without breaking the bank. And that’s how the idea of Class To Cloud was born.
My Solution
Making It Their Own
Class To Cloud is built to solve exactly this problem. When a coaching institute registers, the app adapts to them — the branding, color schemes, and even functionality shift to match their identity. It’s almost like each coaching institute gets its own app, but without the insane development costs.
Institutes can pick and choose what features they want based on their needs. Whether it’s video lectures, note-sharing, or managing student batches, everything is customizable. They get the flexibility they need without any unnecessary extras or hidden costs.
Affordability Without Compromise
Instead of building separate apps for each institute, I created a single app that’s highly customizable. This approach not only reduces costs but also speeds up development time. Coaching institutes now get an app that feels uniquely theirs, while I’m able to maintain and upgrade the app efficiently on my end. It’s a win-win.
The Challenges I Faced
Deciding the Tech Stack
Like any project, this one had its fair share of challenges. One of the biggest ones was choosing the right tech stack. At first, I considered going native, thinking that would give the app the best performance. But then I realized that most coaching institutes don’t even have a cross-platform app — which seemed like a huge missed opportunity.
That’s when I decided to go cross-platform. I narrowed it down to Flutter or React Native. Since I’ve worked extensively with web technologies, especially React, the choice became clear — React Native. It allowed me to use my existing skills while ensuring the app worked smoothly on both Android and iOS.
The Expo Dilemma
At first, I started with React Native using Expo, which seemed like the perfect choice for speeding up development. But then, reality hit — Expo’s Metro bundler didn’t support some of the native libraries I needed, like advanced video playback and PDF viewing.
I had two options: either abandon Expo or drop key features. Abandoning key features wasn’t an option, so I made the call to rewrite the entire app in pure React Native, without Expo. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as tough as I imagined. Since most of the code was reusable, it only took me a day to transfer everything over. Crisis averted!
Where I Am Now
Fast forward to today — the app is almost complete. The core features like lecture video playback, notes and DPP management, and batch management are all functional and smooth. There are still a few features I want to add, like attendance tracking and live interaction tools, but those are more “nice-to-have” than critical.
Looking back, this journey has been a rewarding experience. From identifying a real-world problem to building a solution that could genuinely help coaching institutes, I’ve learned so much along the way. It’s been a mix of challenges, but also a lot of fun.
What’s Next?
There’s still work to be done, but the core of Class To Cloud is ready. I’m excited to continue refining it, adding the finishing touches, and seeing how coaching institutes respond. It’s been a blast building this app, and I’m proud of the solution it’s becoming.
Stay tuned for the final release!
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