Rethink Flow: an educator with no tech background builds a school operations MVP
By Thakur Prashanth · October 15, 2026 · 4 min read
Shruti Sharma (BTF-002) works at an international school and had never built a product. In Build Theory Cohort 01 she built Rethink Flow, an MVP that brings school operations into one dashboard, and is now talking to schools about pilots.
At a glance
Product: Rethink Flow
Built by: Shruti Sharma (BTF-002)
Background: Shruti Sharma: Educator at an international school
Cohort: Build Theory Fellowship, Cohort 01 (BT-01)
Status: MVP built; in discussions with schools about pilots.
Who is Shruti Sharma?
Shruti Sharma (BTF-002) works at an international school. She joined Build Theory as a solo fellow after her friend Dhananjaya Nair (BTF-001) saw the value of the programme and referred her. She had essentially no technical or product-building experience.
The problem she saw every day
She wanted to build something that would help students, parents and the school itself. Her idea came from daily observation: existing LLMs, learning management systems and other tools did not handle certain school workflows well, and teachers and staff were spending a lot of time on tasks that could be improved.
Building the MVP
She researched the problem, started using AI tools and built the product through several tools and iterations, testing it herself and with the Build Theory team.
The hardest part was scope. Her first vision was broad, and the real skill she learned was narrowing it to a realistic minimum viable product (MVP). With guidance, she focused it. Rethink Flow now brings core school operations into one dashboard.
What changed for her
Seeing the product she had built, and how it could help, was the turning point. Her confidence grew, and the experience showed her that technology does not have to be intimidating for someone from a non-technical background.
Where it is now
Shruti is in discussions with different schools about piloting the MVP. Her next goal is to test it in real school environments and explore turning it into a product.
What this story shows
People who work close to a problem notice inefficient workflows that generic tools miss. That domain knowledge is an advantage when it is paired with user research and disciplined MVP scoping.
Frequently asked questions
What is Rethink Flow?
Rethink Flow is a school operations MVP built by Shruti Sharma (BTF-002) in Build Theory Cohort 01. It brings core school operations into one dashboard.
Was Shruti technical before the fellowship?
No. She is an educator who had never built a product. She built the MVP using AI tools and the Build Theory frameworks.
Is Rethink Flow being used in schools?
Shruti is in discussions with schools about piloting it. Real-school testing is her next step.
Build your own product in Cohort 02
This story is part of Build Theory Cohort 01: what 24 fellows built. Build Theory is a 30-day online fellowship, based in Hyderabad, where students and early professionals go from a real problem to a live product with 1:1 mentorship and AI tools. Any year, any branch. Check your readiness score or apply for Cohort 02.
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