Abhay Gupta 🇺🇸
- 2025
- Jul 28
- 11 min read
Updated: Sep 1
''The cost of “just one more thing” is often invisible until it’s too late''
Abhay is the Founder of Frizzle - An AI-Powered Platform That Gives Teachers 10+ Hours Back Every Week By Automating Grading, Starting With Math. He has taken the challenge to answer our 20 Truth Questions, For us to gain some insight, And learn the Truth about the person behind the venture.
My TRUTH Story:
1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON TO A CROWD OF 10,000+ PEOPLE?
Abhay Gupta is the co-founder and CEO of Frizzle, a Y Combinator–backed startup transforming how teachers work by automating grading and giving them back 10 hours each week to focus on students.
Originally from Moline, Illinois, Abhay has built products at Coinbase, Tesla, Meta, and Visa, led teams tackling complex compliance and data problems, and has a deep background in economics and computer science from Vanderbilt University.
Today, he’s on a mission to modernize classrooms, starting with math, and to empower educators with tools that make teaching more impactful and human.
2. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A TRUTH FOUNDER?
A Truth Founder is someone who strips away ego, trends, and wishful thinking, and builds from a place of brutal honesty about the market, the problem, their own strengths and weaknesses, and what it will truly take to win.
3. WHAT EVENT OR EVENTS HAPPENED TO YOU THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A FOUNDER?
For me, the spark came from watching several close friends who are passionate, talented teachers regularly work 50 to 70 hours a week, with 10 to 15 of those hours spent just grading.
In New York City, everyone knows bankers work long hours, but almost no one talks about the fact that teachers often work just as much, without the recognition or compensation.
Seeing friends pour themselves into their students while drowning in repetitive, time-consuming work made it clear: something had to change. That’s what inspired me to found Frizzle, to give teachers their time back and let them focus on the part of teaching that matters most: the human connection with students.
4. WHAT IS YOUR MORNING ROUTINE & RITUAL? I wake up early and keep my phone on airplane mode for the first hour so I’m not pulled into reactive mode. I begin with a short journaling session to set my priorities for the day, followed by a quick workout or stretch, just enough to get my blood moving. Then I spend 20 - 30 minutes reading or learning, often about education, product strategy, or founder journeys. After that, I dive into my first deep work block, which I reserve for the single most important task for Frizzle that day, whether that’s shaping our product direction, talking to customers, or crafting outreach.
5. WHAT MANTRA,QUOTE,LINE OR PHRASE DO YOU SAY OFTEN TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE YOURSELF? “Fall in love with the problem, not your solution.” It keeps me grounded when I’m tempted to get attached to a feature, a design, or even an entire product direction.
If the problem is real and painful enough, there will always be multiple ways to solve it, but if the problem isn’t worth solving, nothing else matters.
It’s a reminder to stay obsessed with understanding our teachers’ struggles and let the solutions evolve from that truth.
6. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD CARE ABOUT YOUR VENTURE? People should care about Frizzle because it’s tackling a silent crisis in education - Teacher burnout.
Teachers are working 50 -70 hours a week, with 10 - 15 of those hours spent grading. That’s time they could be using to connect with students, plan engaging lessons, or simply rest so they can show up fully in the classroom. When teachers burn out, students suffer. Retention drops, quality of instruction falls, and schools struggle to keep great educators.
Frizzle gives teachers hours of their lives back by automating grading, starting with math, so they can focus on the human parts of teaching that no software can replace. This isn’t just about efficiency it’s about preserving the people who shape the next generation. If we don’t care about making their jobs sustainable, we risk losing our best teachers altogether.
7. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE ONE TO MAKE YOUR VENTURE A SUCCESS?
I’m the one to make Frizzle a success because I bring a mix of deep technical expertise, proven product-building experience, and a personal connection to the problem. I’ve built and scaled products at companies like Coinbase and Tesla, led complex compliance and data initiatives, and have the technical background from Vanderbilt to create tools that work at scale. But more importantly, I’m obsessed with this specific problem. I’ve seen close friends, brilliant, dedicated teachers, work themselves to exhaustion, spending 10 - 15 hours a week grading. I know exactly what’s at stake, and I’m committed to building a solution that doesn’t just work in theory, but actually fits seamlessly into their day-to-day. That combination of technical skill, product execution experience, and genuine mission obsession means I can move fast, listen closely to teachers, and iterate until Frizzle becomes the tool they can’t imagine teaching without.
8. WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR VENTURE? ( START WITH: IMAGINE A WORLD... WHAT IF... WE WILL BE... )
IMAGINE A WORLD where every teacher ends the day energized instead of drained, because the hours they once spent grading are now spent connecting with students, inspiring curiosity, and deepening relationships.
WHAT IF the tools in a teacher’s hands worked with them, quietly handling the repetitive work, giving instant insights into student understanding, and helping tailor lessons to each learner’s needs without adding one more thing to their plate?
WE WILL BE the platform that makes that world possible. Starting with math grading, Frizzle will become the invisible teaching assistant in every classroom, saving teachers 10+ hours a week and helping them focus on what only they can do: the human side of teaching. When that happens at scale, we won’t just reduce burnout: we’ll help keep the best educators in the profession for years to come.
9. ANSWER THESE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE - I BELIEVE... I DON'T BELIEVE...
I believe teachers are the most important lever for shaping the next generation.
I believe great technology should disappear into the background and feel effortless to use.
I believe solving a painful, urgent problem matters more than chasing the latest trend.
I believe you earn product market fit through relentless listening, iteration, and humility.
I believe burnout is preventable when people are given the right tools and support.
I believe speed matters but learning matters more.
I believe mission-driven companies can also be profitable, scalable companies.
I don’t believe working 70 hours a week should be normal for any profession, especially teaching.
I don’t believe a good idea is enough without a path to reach the people who need it.
I don’t believe technology should replace the human relationships that make teaching powerful.
I don’t believe in waiting for perfect conditions to launch, progress comes from shipping and iterating.
I don’t believe hype or fundraising headlines are a substitute for real customer impact.
I don’t believe “more features” automatically makes a better product.
10. WHAT'S ONE DECISION YOU MADE AS A FOUNDER THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE COURSE OF YOUR JOURNEY? One decision that completely changed the course of my journey was deciding to sell before we built. Instead of locking ourselves away to perfect the product, we started talking to teachers and schools with just a rough prototype and a clear vision.
We pre-sold Frizzle to early adopters, which did two things: Proved demand before we invested months of engineering time. Forced focus on what customers would actually pay for, not what we thought was “cool.”
That single choice shifted us from building in isolation to building with our users. It meant our roadmap was grounded in real pain points, not assumptions, and it’s the reason we were able to get traction fast instead of waiting for a “big launch” that might have landed flat.
11. WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS YOUR GREATEST SUCCESS PERSONALLY & AS A FOUNDER? Personally: My greatest personal success has been building and sustaining deep, supportive relationships with the people I care about while pursuing an intense founder journey. Startups can consume everything if you let them, but I’ve learned to carve out time and presence for family and close friends even in the busiest seasons. That balance has kept me grounded and resilient.
As a Founder: My greatest success so far has been turning an idea sparked by my friends’ struggles into something teachers actually use, value, and tell others about. Seeing a teacher light up when they realize Frizzle will save them 10+ hours a week, that moment of relief and excitement is the clearest sign we’re building something that matters. It’s not just validation; it’s proof that we’re changing how teaching feels, one classroom at a time.
12. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY? What I like most about myself is my ability to stay relentlessly curious while moving fast. I’m constantly asking “why” and “what if,” whether I’m talking to a teacher about their grading workflow or diving into a new distribution channel.
That curiosity keeps me learning and prevents me from getting stuck in a single way of thinking. But I pair it with action, I don’t let questions paralyze me. I’ll run small experiments, test assumptions, and quickly turn learning into forward motion. It’s that mix of curiosity to see things clearly, and bias toward action to change them that’s helped me make progress as a founder even in uncertain or high-pressure situations.
13. WHAT'S ONE THING YOU CAN IMPROVE ABOUT YOURSELF, AND WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT BY NOW?
One thing I can improve about myself is saying “no” faster and more often. I tend to see potential in almost every idea, partnership, or opportunity, which makes it tempting to take on too much. While that optimism fuels creativity, it can dilute focus especially when building a startup where every ounce of energy should go toward the highest-leverage work.
I haven’t mastered this yet because, deep down, I don’t want to miss out on something that could be game-changing. But I know that the real game-changer is focus, and the cost of “just one more thing” is often invisible until it’s too late. Learning to protect my time and attention with the same intensity that I protect our product vision is a skill I’m still actively working on.
14. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED OR GIVEN, OR BOTH?
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is: “Don’t confuse motion with progress.” It’s easy especially as a founder to fill your days with calls, emails, feature tweaks, and “busy” work that feels productive but doesn’t actually move the needle.
The real question is: Did I do the thing today that will matter a year from now? That filter has completely changed how I prioritize.
The best piece of advice I’ve given is: “Sell it before you build it.” If you can’t convince someone to pay for your solution before it exists, you probably haven’t nailed the problem or the value proposition.
Selling early forces you to refine your pitch, find your market, and build exactly what people are already raising their hands for.
15. ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 10 - 10 BEING THE BEST. HOW WELL DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR TRUTH STORY IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY YOUR COMMUNITY? ( WHY NOT 10? )
I’d put it at around a 7. The teachers who’ve seen Frizzle in action get it immediately, they understand our mission to give them time back and know we’re not trying to replace them. But outside that circle, there’s still work to do. Many people don’t realize how much time teachers spend grading, or how much burnout threatens the profession.
It’s not a 10 yet because our story still needs to break through beyond early adopters and into the broader education community, parents, and policymakers. The more we make the problem visible and connect it emotionally, not just logically the more clearly our mission will be understood.
16. WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY?
I most admire Paul Graham, The Co-founder of Y Combinator.
What stands out most to me is his ability to cut through noise and articulate timeless truths about building companies in a way that’s both simple and profound. He consistently pushes Founders to focus on what actually matters - making something people want, while ignoring distractions, trends, and ego.
I admire that he combines intellectual rigor with a genuine belief in people’s potential. He’s not just a sharp thinker; he’s built an ecosystem that has helped thousands of founders turn scrappy ideas into world-changing companies. That blend of clarity, conviction, and impact is something I try to emulate in my own journey.
17. DESCRIBE YOUR VENTURE - ELEVATOR PITCH STYLE?
Frizzle is an AI-powered platform that gives teachers 10+ hours back every week by automating grading, starting with math. Teachers upload assignments, and Frizzle instantly scores them, marks mistakes, and gives personalized feedback just like they would in red ink.
In a world where teachers work 50 - 70 hours a week and spend 10 - 15 of those grading, we’re removing one of their biggest time drains so they can focus on what no software can replace: the human connection with their students.
18. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT MISSION STATEMENT OR MESSAGE + MARKET FIT FOR YOUR VENTURE?
Frizzle’s mission is to give teachers their time back by automating the repetitive parts of their job starting with math grading so they can focus on the human side of teaching that inspires and changes lives.
Our core message “We save teachers 10+ hours a week” resonates immediately with our market because it speaks directly to a universal pain point. In conversations with teachers, school administrators, and tutoring centers, the reaction is the same: grading takes too much time, and it’s time they’d rather spend on lesson planning, student engagement, or simply recharging.
We’ve found the strongest fit with: K–12 math teachers drowning in grading, especially in districts pushing for personalized learning. Tutoring centers (e.g., Kumon, Mathnasium) that process high volumes of worksheets. School administrators looking to reduce burnout and retain top teaching talent. The clarity of the problem, paired with our ability to deliver measurable time savings, is what gives us strong early traction and confidence in our market fit.
19. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AFTER A LONG WORK DAY?
After a long work day, I like to do something that completely pulls me out of “founder mode.” That could mean going for a run or lifting weights to reset physically, cooking a meal from scratch, or meeting up with friends for unstructured conversation that has nothing to do with startups.
If I’m at home, I’ll often read usually fiction or narrative nonfiction because it forces my brain into a different rhythm. Sometimes, it’s as simple as taking a long walk with music or a podcast, letting my thoughts wander until the workday feels like it’s faded into the background.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU TREATED YOURSELF TO AND WHAT DID YOU CELEBRATE? The last thing I treated myself to was a trip to Japan with my high school friends. We’d been talking about doing it for years, and I decided to make it happen to celebrate both the starting of Frizzle and the chance to reconnect with people who’ve known me long before the founder journey began. It was the perfect mix of exploring a new place, eating incredible food, and laughing about old memories, a reset that left me energized to dive back into building.
BONUS QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTING YOU ON YOUR AMBITIOUS JOURNEY?
Thank You for believing in both the mission and in me.
Building something from scratch is never a straight line, and having people who stand beside you, whether by offering advice, opening doors, or just reminding you why you started, makes all the difference.
Every late-night conversation, every introduction, every moment of encouragement is part of the reason Frizzle exists today. This isn’t just my journey, it’s ours. And when we succeed, it will be because of the collective belief and effort of everyone who’s been willing to bet on us early.
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