Lessons from Building ERP for 7+ Indian Schools

Over the past 4 years I've built school management software used by 7+ institutions. Here are the lessons that didn't make it into the sales page.

1. Offline-first matters

Internet in rural Kerala schools is unreliable. The Android companion app caches attendance and syncs when connected.

2. Every state has different rules

Kerala state syllabus, CBSE, and ICSE each have different grading, term structures, and report card formats. Hard-code none of it.

3. Parents are your real users

Teachers enter data. Parents consume it. If parents can't use the app on a ₹8000 Android phone, the project fails no matter how good the admin panel is.