Why I Built Homework Hero

By Matt Pope, Founder of Homework Hero

Inspiration to start a new business can come from the most unlikely places.

After more than 10 years in the startup world, one thing I’ve learned is this: the best ideas come from lived experience — from seeing a problem up close, feeling the frustration, and deciding to do something about it.

And Homework Hero was no different.

The Spark

This time, inspiration came from my children.

I have two girls in junior school here in the UK. Over the years, I’ve been more than just an observer of their learning — I’ve been an active participant. From helping with weekly spelling lists to logging into various learning portals, I’ve seen the ups and downs of homework life from the parent’s perspective.

I also spent two years volunteer teaching computers at our local junior school. It gave me a front-row seat to the realities of classroom life — the planning, the marking, and the constant time pressure teachers face.

And then there’s the parents’ WhatsApp group — the endless stream of messages every week “discussing” (or sometimes debating!) what the homework actually meant or how to upload it.

All of it gave me a clear, consistent insight:
Homework was stressful for everyone.

Teachers, parents, and students all seemed to agree on one thing — there had to be a better way.

The Problem

Homework hasn’t changed much in decades.

Teachers spend hours creating and marking it. Students often find it repetitive or uninspiring. Parents get confused about expectations or how to help.

The tools that do exist tend to make things more complicated, not less — too many logins, clunky systems, and platforms that don’t quite fit how real classrooms work.

It shouldn’t be this hard.

The Idea

That’s what led to Homework Hero.

I wanted to build something that genuinely makes life easier for teachers, more engaging for students, and clearer for parents.

A platform that:

Lets teachers create homework in minutes
Automatically marks and tracks student progress
Motivates students with gamified elements and instant feedback
Keeps parents in the loop without the confusion

A tool that saves time, reduces stress, and actually improves learning outcomes.

The Mission

Our mission is simple:
To make homework heroic again — meaningful, motivating, and manageable for everyone involved.

Homework Hero isn’t just another edtech platform. It’s a teacher-first, classroom-tested solution built from real experiences — my own as a parent, volunteer, and founder — and shaped by the insights of the educators who inspired it.

What’s Next

We’re now working closely with UK schools to bring Homework Hero into classrooms across the country — and we’re just getting started.

If you’re a teacher, school leader, or part of a multi-academy trust, I’d love to hear from you. Your input is what helps us keep improving and building tools that truly make a difference.

Together, we can transform homework from a chore into a moment of growth — for teachers, students, and parents alike.