Dan Zabrotski is the 24-year-old co-founder and CEO of Speekl, an online language learning platform that connects students with tutors through smart technology. He draws on eight years of experience as a software developer in international companies while operating the U.S.-based business from Dubai. Inspired by his own language learning journey, he and his wife, Daria Simonyan, a tutor and marketing professional, focus on fairness, feedback, and building a supportive community for both tutors and students.
Q1: What inspired you to create Speekl, and how did your background in technology and education shape the platform's mission?
Initially, I tried different platforms and worked with various tutors to learn English online. Through this experience, I realized that many platforms lacked straightforward and transparent rules for both learners and tutors, which made the process less effective and enjoyable. This inspired me to create Speekl, a platform designed to offer clear, fair, and simple rules for everyone involved.
I have been working as a software engineer since I was sixteen years old, and my technical background enabled me to build every part of the platform's software, ensuring it is secure and stable. Over the years, I have gained experience in various industries, including Fintech, Big Data, Food and Beverage, Fitness, Transportation, and Geospatial Technology.
My wife, Daria Simonyan, brings extensive experience in project management, marketing, and language tutoring. She focuses on developing features and business logic that meet the needs of both tutors and students, and helps establish rules that work well for everyone.
Q2: Can you share a memorable challenge you faced while building Speekl and how you overcame it?
One memorable challenge was finding the first tutors for the platform. In the beginning, we started with only two tutors: Daria Simonyan, the co-founder of Speekl, and my own tutor. It was not easy to attract more people to join us, as many tutors were hesitant to try a new platform.
We knew that one of our biggest advantages was that tutors keep 100% of their earnings. Once we started highlighting this new approach in our posts, tutors realized that we were not just another ordinary platform and began eagerly applying to become tutors on Speekl. This approach, and the way we showcased it, helped us to overcome this challenge.
Q3: What makes Speekl's business model stand out in the crowded field of online language learning?
Speekl's business model stands out for tutors because it allows them to keep 100% of their earnings. Tutors do not need to worry about students losing lessons, as all lessons are fully secured. The platform also offers fair cancellation and rescheduling policies that protect tutors' time and income. Additionally, tutors have the freedom to set any price per lesson, giving them full control over their teaching business.
For students, Speekl offers flexibility and peace of mind. There are no subscriptions, no auto-renewals, and no long-term commitments. Students can book any number of lessons they want, one by one or in advance, without worrying about lessons disappearing from their balance. They can try and learn with different tutors at any time, making it easy to find the right fit. The classroom is accessible anywhere through both web and mobile applications, ensuring a convenient and seamless learning experience.
Q4: How do you and your wife divide responsibilities at Speekl, and how does her background in education influence the platform?
Dividing responsibilities at Speekl comes naturally to us because we each have expertise in different areas, and our skills complement each other well. I handle software development, cybersecurity, compliance, and finance, ensuring the platform is secure, reliable, and operates smoothly.
My wife, Daria Simonyan, takes care of marketing and manages our social media presence. She is also an active tutor on Speekl, which gives her a clear understanding of what both tutors and students need from a modern E-Learning platform. Her background in education allows her to suggest and develop features that truly benefit our users, making sure the platform works well for everyone. Additionally, Daria's own blog about English and language learning not only helps more people discover Speekl but also gives us valuable insights into the needs and interests of students.
Q5: What personal values or experiences motivated you to ensure tutors keep 100% of their earnings on Speekl?
Fairness has always been very important to me, and this is one of the main reasons why I wanted tutors to keep 100 percent of their earnings on Speekl. When I was learning English online, I saw how much work tutors put into every lesson. I also noticed that many platforms took a big part of what tutors earned, which did not seem fair to me. I believe that tutors should be rewarded for their hard work and skills, not lose a part of their income to high platform fees.
My wife, Daria, is a tutor herself and teaches on Speekl. She often shared with me how important it is for tutors to feel respected and to have control over their own work. Her experience helped me understand what tutors really need from a platform. We both agreed that if we want to build a strong and supportive community, we have to start by treating tutors well.
We also wanted to make Speekl different from other platforms. By letting tutors keep all of their earnings, we show that we value their time and effort. This simple rule helps us attract great tutors and makes them feel more motivated to teach. In the end, we believe that when tutors are happy, students will have a better learning experience too. This is why we made it a core part of Speekl from the very beginning.
Q6: What achievements with Speekl are you most proud of, and why do they matter to you personally?
One of the achievements I am most proud of is starting Speekl in the United States. For me, this is special because the United States is a place where people from many backgrounds come together and new ideas are welcomed. Being able to build Speekl here gave me the freedom and support I needed to turn my idea into something real.
I am also proud that Speekl is helping people from different countries connect and learn from each other. Seeing tutors and students from all over the world use the platform makes me feel that we are really making a difference. It is very rewarding to know that something we created is helping people reach their goals and learn new skills.
These achievements matter to me because they show that with hard work and the right support, it is possible to build something meaningful. It makes me happy to know that Speekl is not just a business, but a community where people can grow and help each other.
Q7: How do you and your team respond to feedback from tutors and students, and can you share an example of a change inspired by user input?
At Speekl, we always try to make things better for both students and tutors. Listening to feedback is very important to us. Since our team is small, just the two of us, we can talk about new ideas and make decisions quickly. This helps us respond to feedback almost right away and make changes that really matter to our users.
One example is when several tutors told us they needed a better way to manage their schedules. We listened and added Google Calendar integration. Now, tutors can easily keep track of their lessons and avoid double bookings. This update made things much easier for tutors and showed us how helpful it is to listen to the people who use Speekl every day. Their feedback helps us build a platform that works well for everyone.
Q8: What skills or lessons from your early career as a software developer have been most valuable in leading Speekl?
One of the most important lessons I learned early in my career as a software developer is to always plan carefully before starting any work. I found that taking time to think through the business logic and how everything should work makes the whole process much smoother. This habit has helped me a lot with Speekl, because it means I can build features that really make sense for our users.
Another skill that has been very valuable is writing clean and simple code. When the code is easy to understand, it is much easier to fix problems or add new features later. This has allowed us to make changes quickly when tutors or students share their ideas with us. Building a strong system from the start also means that Speekl can grow and handle more users without any trouble.
Additionally, my experience in FinTech helped me set up the whole payment flow in a smooth and secure way. I was able to choose the right payment provider and make sure that all transactions on Speekl are safe and reliable for both tutors and students. This has been very important for building trust and making sure everyone feels comfortable using the platform.
Q9: How do you see Speekl evolving in the next few years, and what new features or goals are you most excited about?
In the next few years, I see Speekl becoming a place where real tutors and smart AI tools work together to help people learn languages in the best way possible. We want to keep the personal touch of live lessons with tutors, but also add helpful AI features that make learning easier and more fun. The new AI technology is very impressive, and we believe it can give students extra support, like instant feedback and personalized practice.
One of our main goals is to make learning as flexible as possible. We want students to be able to learn at their own pace, whether they prefer live lessons, practicing with AI, or a mix of both. We are also planning to add new tools that save time for both students and tutors, so everyone can focus more on learning and teaching.
I am especially excited about creating features that help students get feedback right away and practice what they have learned in a way that feels natural. We hope that by combining real human connection with smart technology, we can help people learn languages faster and enjoy the process even more.
Q10: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who want to make a positive impact in online education?
My main advice is to start as soon as you can and not be afraid to share your ideas with others. Right now is a great time to build something new in online education. Launch your idea, listen to feedback from real users, and keep improving step by step.
It is also important to really care about the people you want to help. Try to understand what students and teachers need, and be ready to make changes based on their feedback. Building something useful takes time and patience.
Most of all, believe in your idea and do not give up when things get hard.
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