EdTech Platform Development: Replacing 3 Tools with One Unified System

The Challenge: Fragmented Tools and Data Silos

Three Tools, Zero Integration
The client’s platform was stitched together from three separate tools: Softr for the web-facing frontend, Circle for community engagement, and Airtable Forms for data collection and project submissions. Each tool handled one piece of the puzzle, but none of them talked to each other natively. Data lived in silos, user experiences were fragmented across different interfaces, and the team spent significant time manually bridging the gaps between systems. What should have been a seamless experience for students and supervisors felt disjointed and clunky.

Administrative Burden on All Sides
The disconnected toolset created administrative overhead for everyone. Academic supervisors had to navigate multiple platforms to track student progress. Industry contacts dealt with fragmented submission flows. The client’s own team spent time on manual data transfers and coordination that should have been handled automatically. As the platform grew, this operational friction was becoming the bottleneck — not the idea, not the demand, but the tools holding everything back.

No-Code Tools Had Hit Their Ceiling
Softr, Circle, and Airtable are solid no-code tools for getting started fast, but the client had outgrown what they could deliver. The customization needed to serve three distinct user groups with different workflows simply wasn’t possible within the constraints of no-code platforms. The client needed a purpose-built platform — but didn’t have the internal engineering capacity to build one from scratch.

The Solution: Custom EdTech Platform Development

A Unified Platform Built from Scratch
AY Automate designed and built a completely new platform that replaced all three disconnected tools with a single, cohesive system. The platform handles the full workflow: industry partners submit project briefs, students discover and apply for projects, academic supervisors oversee progress, and the client’s team manages everything from one dashboard. No more switching between Softr, Circle, and Airtable — every user group has a tailored experience within one unified product.

AI-Accelerated Development
While the platform itself is a traditional web application, AY Automate leveraged AI throughout the development workflow to accelerate delivery. AI-assisted coding, automated testing workflows, and intelligent development tooling allowed the team to move significantly faster than a conventional build process — delivering a production-quality platform in a compressed timeline without sacrificing code quality or reliability.

Daily Check-ins and Transparent Delivery
AY Automate ran the project with daily end-of-day reviews where the client could see exactly what had been built, give feedback, and see it implemented by the next morning. This transparent, iterative process eliminated the uncertainty that often plagues custom development projects. The client’s Technical Director described it as being able to “literally just come in, watch the end of the day review, give a couple of points of feedback, and then it would be fixed or implemented the next day.”

Embedded Engineer with Full Autonomy
AY Automate placed a dedicated engineer directly into the client’s workflow. Rather than requiring constant direction, the engineer took the requirements, built independently, and delivered daily progress — operating with the autonomy and ownership that the client specifically praised. This embedded approach gave the client access to senior development talent without the overhead of managing a full engineering hire, and the daily check-in cadence kept everything aligned without micromanagement.

The Technology Stack Used

Tech Stack: Next.js, Supabase

The platform was built on a modern, scalable architecture: Next.js for the frontend and application layer, providing fast page loads and a responsive experience across all user types, and Supabase for the backend database, authentication, and real-time capabilities. This stack replaced the entire Softr + Circle + Airtable combination with a single, maintainable codebase that the client can extend as their platform evolves.

Results & Impact

Three Tools Replaced by One Platform
The most immediate impact: three disconnected tools consolidated into a single unified platform. Softr, Circle, and Airtable Forms are no longer needed. Students, supervisors, and industry contacts now operate within one system — eliminating the fragmented experience, manual data transfers, and administrative overhead that had been holding the client back. The platform gives the client full ownership of their product instead of being constrained by the limitations of no-code tools.

Stress-Free Development Experience
The client’s Technical Director specifically highlighted the development process as “fantastic,” “hassle-free,” and “stress-free.” The daily review cadence, the engineer’s autonomy, and the speed of iteration meant the client spent minimal time managing the build and maximum time focusing on their business. Feedback given in the evening was implemented by the next morning — a turnaround that the client called out as a standout feature of working with AY Automate.

Foundation for Scale
With a purpose-built platform on modern infrastructure, the client now has a technical foundation that can grow with their business. Adding new features, onboarding new university partners, and expanding to new markets no longer depends on what Softr or Circle can support — the client controls their own roadmap. The Next.js + Supabase architecture is extensible, performant, and built to handle the growth the client is planning for.

Business Impact and Key Takeaways

* No-code tools are great for starting, but custom development is needed for scaling. Softr, Circle, and Airtable got the client to their first version, but the disconnected experience and customization limitations made a purpose-built platform essential for growth.
* AI-accelerated development compresses timelines without sacrificing quality. By integrating AI into the development workflow, AY Automate delivered a full platform build faster than traditional development cycles would allow.
* Daily check-ins and embedded engineers create a transparent, low-friction build process. The client stayed informed and in control without the overhead of managing an engineering team — exactly the experience AY Automate’s engineer placement model is designed to deliver.
* Platform consolidation eliminates operational friction for multi-stakeholder products. When students, supervisors, and industry contacts all use one system instead of three, the administrative burden drops dramatically and the user experience improves for everyone.
* Owning your platform means owning your roadmap. Moving off no-code tools gives the client complete control over their product’s future — no more being constrained by what third-party platforms support.

"The AY Automate team were fantastic and quite hassle-free. You could literally just come in, watch the end of the day review, give a couple of points of feedback, and then it would be fixed or implemented the next day. I would highly recommend them if you want a stress-free development experience."

— Technical Director, EdTech Platform Company