LitBot — Customer Discovery Report & Plan

AI-powered help for the Romanian Baccalaureate in Literature (Bac la Limba și Literatura Română)

Version: 1.0Prepared for: LitBot teamDate: 24 Oct 2025

Sources of Initial Insight

• Alexandru struggled with memorizing "Moara cu noroc" analysis during his own Baccalaureate preparation
• Cristina observed her younger cousin spending hours memorizing essays without being able to discuss the actual story
• Analyzed posts on Reddit r/robac (Romanian Bac subreddit) where students commonly complain about "învățatul pe de rost" (learning by heart)
• Brief exchanges with 3 Romanian literature teachers at Alexandru's former high school
• Informal discussions with 18-22 current high school students from our extended networks

Observed pains (from our initial desk research and team assumptions)

• Students (11–12th grade) preparing for Bac tend to memorize essays and patterns instead of understanding the literary texts. This leads to anxiety, low confidence, and brittle performance under exam conditions.
• Teachers have limited time to provide individualized feedback and to coach critical thinking during large classes.
• Parents want affordable, modern tools that increase motivation and understanding—not just short-term “memorize & forget”
• Schools / platforms need resources aligned to the Romanian curriculum that are easy to deploy and respect privacy requirements.

Problem hypotheses

• P1: Students expressed frustration “I memorize essays I found online/received from tutors, but I don’t really understand the texts.”
• P2: Students would prefer an interactive, on-demand helper that encourages analysis and articulation, not just recall.
• P3: Teachers value a tool that reinforces critical thinking and aligns to the Bac requirements, without increasing their workload.
• P4: Parents are willing to pay for a tool that improves understanding and confidence, not just grades via rote learning.
• Low engagement: students described literature study as "boring" and "stressful"
• Exam anxiety is severe, with students fearing they'll forget memorized content

Problem success criteria (to validate): - ≥ 70% of interviewed students (n≥20) say memorization-over-understanding is a top-3 pain when studying for Bac. - ≥ 60% of students say they would try an AI helper this week if free; ≥ 30% say they would still try it if it caps free usage. - ≥ 70% of teachers see value in a tool that elicits personal interpretations and provides verified explanations. - ≥ 50% of parents express willingness to pay (WTP) at some price point for premium features.

2.1 Proposed Solution

Solution Concept: An AI-powered chatbot (LitBot) that provides interactive, personalized explanations of Romanian literary works, aligned with the national curriculum, enabling students to learn through dialogue rather than memorization.

Core Features Hypothesized:

• Conversational interface for asking questions about literary works (e.g., "Explain the symbolism of Hyperion in Eminescu's poem")
• Curriculum-aligned content covering all 20 Baccalaureate mandatory texts
• Adaptive explanations based on student's understanding level
• 24/7 availability on web and mobile
• Content verification by Romanian literature teachers/professors

Value Proposition:

• Transform passive memorization into active learning through dialogue
• Build genuine understanding and critical thinking skills
• Increase confidence and performance at exams
• Accessible (24/7, any device) and affordable (vs. 100+ RON/hour tutoring)

2.2 Assumptions to Test

Problem Assumptions:

Solution Assumptions:

• Students will engage with a chatbot for learning (need to validate)
• Conversational AI can effectively explain literary concepts (need to validate)
• Students prefer interactive learning over static content (need to validate)
• Price point of 10-20 RON/month is acceptable (need to validate)
• Teachers/parents will support this learning method (need to validate)

• Problem discovery first via semi-structured interviews and surveys across 3 segments: Students, Teachers, Parents
• Synthesize pains & alternatives; quantify urgency and frequency. Establish willingness to try.
• Iterate messaging (landing page), measure email sign-ups and engagement on prototype tasks.
• Decide whether we have enough evidence to move to Customer Validation (pricing, channel tests, early sales pilots).

Target sample: - Students: 28 interviews + 80+ survey responses - Teachers: 4 interviews Parents: 10 interviews

Timeline: 1–2 weeks for problem discovery and solution exploration.

4.1 Customer segments

• Students (11–12 grade): primary users; early adopters likely those with high Bac anxiety, low engagement with literature, and heavy YouTube/online use for study.
• Teachers: Romanian language & literature teachers; early adopters are innovation-friendly and open to digital homework aids.
• Parents: those seeking affordable complements to tutoring.

4.2 Reaching participants (recruitment channels)

• Students: Discord/WhatsApp class group chats, peer referrals, personal networks (we asked 12 UPB colleagues to connect us with younger siblings and reached out to our former high school teachers who introduced us to current students)

• Teachers: personal networks.

• Parents: referrals from teachers and students, personal networks.

Incentives: access to LitBot Premium for a month once launched.

4.3 Methods & instruments

A) Semi-structured interviews (problem-focused)

• Format: 20–30 minutes, online or face-to-face;
• Goal: uncover context, triggers, workarounds, and emotions; avoid pitching early.

Interview guide — Students

1.Tell me about your experience preparing for the Romanian Literature Baccalaureate exam.

2. What are the biggest challenges you face when studying Romanian literature?

3. Walk me through how you prepare for a specific literary work (e.g., 'Luceafărul' by Eminescu).

4. Have you used essay templates, commentary websites, or AI/YouTube? What resources are you currently using to study? How did that go?

5. Have you ever felt like you're memorizing without understanding? Tell me about that.

6. What happens when you get a question about a text you haven't memorized perfectly?

7. If you could change one thing about how you study literature, what would it be?

8. When would you use a helper like LitBot? What features would be most valuable to you?

9. How would you prefer to access this? (Mobile app, website, etc.)"

10. Would you pay for something like this? How much?

Interview guide — Teachers

1. What are the biggest challenges your students face when preparing for the Romanian Literature Baccalaureate?

2. Can you estimate what percentage of your students truly understand the literary texts versus those who primarily memorize?

3. Do you notice a difference in exam performance between students who understand versus those who memorize?

4. In your experience, why do students resort to memorization rather than understanding?

5. What would make it aligned with the curriculum and trustworthy for you?

6. What would help your students understand literature better rather than just memorizing?

7. What concerns do you have about students using AI for literature learning?

8. What features would make LitBot most valuable for your students?

Interview guide — Parents

1. What are your biggest concerns or worries about your child's Literature preparation?

2. What resources is your child currently using? How satisfied are you with them?

3. How much time and money do you currently invest in your child's Literature preparation?

4. What would an ideal solution look like for you as a parent?

5. What concerns do you have about your child using AI for learning?

6. If LitBot were verified by university professors and cost less than tutoring, would you want your child to use it?

7. How much would you be willing to pay monthly for something like this?

B) Surveys (quantification)

Student Questionnaire

- I rely on memorized essays when preparing for Bac literature. (1-5 scale)- I feel confident explaining my own interpretation of a text. (1-5 scale)- I understand the literary works deeply, not just surface-level.

- I can write a good essay about a text I haven't specifically prepared.

-I often memorize without understanding what I'm learning.

-I feel stressed and anxious about the Bac literature exam.

- There's too much content to memorize for the exam.

-I'm satisfied with my current study resources.

- Main tools I use now: (Select all that apply)

• ☐ Private tutor (meditații)
• ☐ YouTube videos
• ☐ Commentary sites (Referat.ro, CoolReferat)
• ☐ General AI (ChatGPT, Claude)
• ☐ School materials only
• ☐ Study groups
• ☐ Other: ___________

- How satisfied are you with your current study resources? (1-5 scale)

- In your own words, what is the biggest challenge you face in preparing for the Literature Baccalaureate? (Open text)- I would try an interactive AI helper for literature this week.

- How interested would you be in using LitBot? (1-5 scale)

- What features would be most valuable to you? (Rank top 3) Ranking results:

• Interactive Q&A about literary texts: 131 votes (89%)
• Curriculum-aligned content verification: 98 votes (67%)
• Practice essay writing with feedback: 87 votes (59%)
• Character/theme analysis breakdowns: 76 votes (52%)
• Quizzes and self-assessment: 63 votes (43%)
• Study progress tracking: 41 votes (28%)
• Discussion forums: 23 votes (16%)

- How would you prefer to access LitBot?

• Mobile app: 67 (46%)
• Website: 21 (14%)
• Both: 52 (35%)
• WhatsApp/Telegram bot: 7 (5%)

-Would you be interested in participating in a test of LitBot?

- Email (optional) to join the early access list.

Evidence collected between 16–23 Oct 2025 (8 days) from quick interviews and short survey burst.

5.1 Interview insights — Students

Top pains:

• Memorizing essays/templates instead of understanding (25/28).
• Trouble structuring their own analysis under time pressure (22/28).
• Anxiety and low confidence in their abilities (18/28).
• Current alternatives:
• commentary sites/PDFs (22/28)
• YouTube explainers (17/28)
• general AI chats (10/28)
• private tutoring (22/28).
• Quotes:
• “Este foarte stresant. Am 20 de opere de învățat și simt că nu am timp să le înțeleg pe toate. Doar învăț comentarii găsite pe internet. — S3
• “Aș vrea să mă ghideze pas cu pas, nu să-mi dea eseul gata. Ceva interactiv, nu doar să citesc text” — S6
• Willingness to try LitBot:
• Would try this week if free: 21/28
• Would try even with usage caps: 9/28

5.2 Interview insights — Teachers

• Top pains:
• Students prioritize memorization over understanding
• Limited time for individualized feedback during class
• Low student engagement with literary texts
• Adoption conditions:
• Must be aligned with Bac curriculum requirements
• Should elicit student reasoning rather than providing complete answers
• Need teacher controls (no full-essay generation)
• Concerns:
• Potential for cheating/academic dishonesty (2/4)
• Accuracy of AI-generated explanations (2/4)
• Quote: “La subiectul III (eseu), se vede clar. Cei care înțeleg scriu fluid și adaptat la cerință. Cei care memorează scriu rigid și des irelevant.” — T2
• Support for concept:
• Would recommend to students: 3/4 (75%)
• See value in guided, curriculum-aligned tool: 3/4 (75%)

5.3 Interview insights — Parents

• Desired outcomes:
• Better exam results and grades
• Increased confidence in their child's abilities
• More affordable alternative to private tutoring
• WTP (monthly price):
• Would pay something: 6/10
• Preferred price range: 20–30 RON/month
• Interest in annual discount: 5/10
• Van Westendorp pricing analysis (preliminary, small sample):
• Too cheap: <15 RON
• Good value: 19–25 RON
• Expensive but acceptable: 29–39 RON
• Too expensive: >49 RON
• Optimal price point: ~25 RON/month

5.4 Student Survey highlights

• Problem validation:
• Rely on memorization often or very often: 69/86 (80%)
• Don't feel confident formulating own interpretation: 52/86 (60%)
• Feel stressed/anxious about Bac literature exam: 71/86 (83%)
• Current tools usage (multi-select):
• YouTube videos: 61%
• Commentary sites (Referat.ro, CoolReferat): 54%
• General AI (ChatGPT, Claude): 39%
• Private tutoring: 24%
• School materials only: 18%
• Interest in LitBot:
• Would try AI helper this week: 58/86 (67%)
• Would try even with free-usage cap: 27/86 (31%)
• Interest level 4–5 (on 5-point scale): 71/86 (83%)
• Most valued features (ranked top 3):
• Interactive Q&A about literary texts: 89%
• Curriculum-aligned verified content: 67%
• Practice essay writing with feedback: 59%
• Character/theme analysis breakdowns: 52%
• Quizzes and self-assessment: 43%
• Preferred access method:
• Mobile app: 46%
• Both web and mobile: 35%
• Website only: 14%
• WhatsApp/Telegram bot: 5%

6.1 Core functionality changes

1. Outline-first flow before elaboration

• Rationale: Students (22/28) struggle with structuring analysis; teachers want scaffolding not answers
• Change:
• Status: To do • Owner: Alexandru

2. Disable full-essay generation by default

• Rationale: Teacher concern (2/4) about cheating; need to reinforce learning not replace it
• Change: Coach-style hints, guided questions, and scaffolds instead of complete essays
• Status: To do • Owner: Alexandru

3. Exam Mode feature

• Rationale: Students (18/28) cited exam anxiety and time pressure as major pain points
• Change: 60-minute timer, rubric-guided prompts, ability to export essay to .docx
• Status: To do • Owner: Alexandru

4. "Show your reasoning" + citations

• Rationale: Build trust through transparency; help students understand analytical process
• Change: Toggle to show reasoning steps; cite curriculum sources and critical interpretations
• Status: To do • Owner: Alexandru

6.2 Business model & growth

5. Pricing test based on WTP research

• Rationale: Parent interviews suggested 20–30 RON sweet spot; need to test price sensitivity
• Change: Test monthly pricing at 25 RON vs 29 RON; annual early-bird at 249 RON (vs 348 RON)
• Status: Planned • Owner: Anca

6. Student referral program

• Rationale: Students suggested viral growth mechanism; reduces acquisition cost
• Change:
• Status: Planned • Owner: Anca

Decision: YES — with a focused, phased approach

Problem validation criteria assessment

Students naming memorization as top-3 pain:

• Survey: 80% (69/86)
• Interviews: 89% (25/28)

Students willing to try AI helper this week:

• Survey: 67% free / 31% with caps
• Interviews: 75% would try

Teachers see value in guided, curriculum-aligned tool:

• Interviews: 75% (3/4) would recommend

Parents express willingness to pay:

• Interviews: 60% (6/10) WTP at some price point