June 16, 2025

07: Lessons from a Failed M&A to a Successful Exit: The Founder Story Behind ClassTag

44 minutes

In this compelling episode of From Angel to Exit, Bruce Eckfeldt interviews Vlada Lotkina, founder of ClassTag, an EdTech platform that transformed parent-teacher communication. From her entrepreneurial upbringing in Ukraine to a successful exit in the U.S., Vlada shares the challenges of monetizing in the K-12 sector, navigating a failed M&A, and rethinking her strategy for venture number two. Founder-CEOs will find inspiration and pragmatic lessons in her candid account of scaling a mission-driven business with resilience and clarity.

Key Takeaways

Personal conviction helped validate the problem when initial feedback was discouraging.

Early MVP failures taught resilience and forced creative pivots in product strategy.

Growth came through teachers marketing to teachers—not parents.

The business scaled with a unique media model, later bolstered by SaaS.

A failed M&A taught the importance of running the business regardless of deal progress.

Private equity deals often depend on external fund dynamics, not founder value.

Exiting with minimal earn-out allowed smoother transition and founder relief.

Future ventures are now guided by “following the money” and co-founder alignment.

Links & Resources

Vlada Lotkina

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlada-lotkina/

[email protected]

https://www.elev8orlab.com/

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By Bruce Eckfeldt