Define Learning Adoption Goals in EdTech Briefs using Get Who To By
Look, most EdTech briefs are just a graveyard of buzzwords masking the fact that nobody is actually using the software. You've got 'engagement' goals that mean nothing and 'adoption' targets that are basically fan fiction. The Get Who To By framework is your reality check. It forces you to stop daydreaming about global classroom revolutions and start focusing on the one actual human who might actually log in if you stop annoying them. It's about turning a vague 'mission' into a specific action before your budget gets cut.
The TL;DR
Stop writing briefs that sound like a TED Talk. Use Get Who To By to define exactly who is going to use your tool (GET), why they’re currently ignoring it (WHO), the blunt message that will wake them up (TO), and the actual mechanism that makes them act (BY). It’s strategy for people who actually want results.
Why Get Who To By is Your EdTech Brief's Reality Check
EdTech projects usually fail because they try to solve every pedagogical problem at once. This framework stops the bleeding by focusing on behavior, not just features.
The Four Steps
GET
Who exactly are the users we need to move first?
Identify the smallest, most winnable group of learners or educators. If you say 'all students,' you’ve already lost. Pick the ones who are currently struggling with one specific, annoying task.
WHO
What is the real-world behavior holding them back?
Be honest. They aren't 'digitally hesitant'; they're exhausted and don't think your tool is worth the three extra clicks. Find the friction point they actually complain about.
TO
What is the message that makes the benefit undeniable?
Cut the fluff. Tell them exactly how this makes their life less miserable or their grade higher. If it takes a manual to explain the value, your 'TO' is broken.
BY
What is the specific mechanism that triggers the action?
This is the 'how.' Is it a simplified login, a pre-filled template, or a notification that actually matters? This is the bridge between 'I want to' and 'I did it.'
EdTech Adoption Blunders
(Try not to be this person)
- ×Targeting 'The District' instead of the teacher in the classroom
- ×Confusing 'number of accounts created' with actual adoption
- ×Writing messages that sound like a 40-page whitepaper
- ×Ignoring the fact that teachers have 30 seconds of free time
- ×Building a 'BY' mechanism that requires a 2-hour training session
- ×Assuming learners care about your 'innovative algorithm'
- ×Setting goals based on hope rather than actual user habits
- ×Forgetting that if the 'WHO' insight is wrong, the whole brief is trash
Fix these, and you might actually see a usage graph that goes up for once.
Real Examples
K-12 Teacher Adoption
Getting overworked math teachers to use a new automated grading tool.
GET
Middle school math teachers who spend 5+ hours a week on manual grading.
WHO
They want to provide feedback but are so bogged down by paperwork they just give completion grades.
TO
Get your Sunday nights back - grade an entire class in 60 seconds.
BY
A 'Scan-to-Grade' mobile feature that syncs directly with their existing gradebook.
Higher Ed Student Engagement
Encouraging university students to use a new AI-powered study planner.
GET
First-year undergrads with 'undecided' majors feeling overwhelmed by their first finals week.
WHO
They are paralyzed by their syllabus and end up doom-scrolling instead of studying.
TO
Stop guessing what to study - here is your 15-minute daily 'Don't Fail' list.
BY
Push notifications that break the syllabus down into three micro-tasks per day.
Corporate L&D Upskilling
Driving adoption of a new coding certification platform for non-technical staff.
GET
Marketing managers who feel threatened by AI but don't know where to start.
WHO
They think coding is for 'math geniuses' and are afraid of looking stupid in front of IT.
TO
Learn to automate your boring reports without writing a single line of complex code.
BY
A 'No-Code' starter module that produces a usable Slack bot in under 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my target audience is 'everyone' in the school?
Then your strategy is 'nothing.' Pick the most influential or most desperate group first. Adoption spreads through success, not through mass emails to people who don't care.
How do I find the 'WHO' insight if I'm stuck in an office?
Talk to a user. Not a 'power user' who loves everything you do, but the one who hasn't logged in for three weeks. They'll tell you the truth, and it'll probably hurt.
Does the 'TO' have to be a slogan?
No, it's a value proposition. It needs to be the one thing that makes them stop what they're doing. If it's more than 10 words, you're probably still overthinking it.
Can the 'BY' be a discount or a prize?
In EdTech? Rarely. Incentives might get them to log in once, but a mechanism that solves a workflow problem is what keeps them there.
How do I know if my brief is actually good?
If you show it to a tired teacher and they say 'I'd actually do that,' you're winning. If they squint and ask for a demo, you're still in the weeds.
Generate a Framework for your Product Launch Strategy
Use our framework generator to generate various Get Who To By, 4C, 4 Points Strategy, and other frameworks — all in one place and directly to editable Google SLIDES!
Go to Framework Generator