Why I started TutorLyft.
I'm Omar, the founder of TutorLyft, a Canadian small business based in Vancouver, BC. This is my story, in my own words.
Six moments that led to TutorLyft
I loved school. Then high school happened.
I was the kid who couldn't wait to get to school. In high school my grades fell from A's to C's. I failed exams, bounced between schools and worked at my dad's auto shop for a while. I was too embarrassed to ask for help.
Years later, I tried again.
I signed up for a college math class. In the first lecture I looked at the board and thought, is this a foreign language? Part of me was ashamed I couldn't figure it out on my own.
So I asked for help.
Some students just learn better one-on-one. I didn't realize that's what I needed. So I texted my mom and asked if she knew any tutors.
Then I met Farhaan.
From the first lesson it felt like reconnecting with an old friend. He listened, and he made sure I understood every step. My grades went from barely passing to the 90s.
My parents never gave up on me.
My parents immigrated to Canada and built a business and a life here. They kept backing me through my worst years. Watching their hard work taught me to give back to the country that gave us so much.
Nobody should have to figure out school alone.
With the right help I finished my bachelor's degree, then went on to graduate degrees. I started TutorLyft so every student can find the tutor who changes things for them.
Six principles behind every decision
Including the ones you never see.
Earn every booking
Nothing is owed to us. Not the next lesson, not the next client, not the benefit of the doubt.
Respect both sides of the marketplace
We have two customers, the clients who pay us and the tutors who make us worth paying.
Raise the bar
Anything we add has to improve on what's already here.
Think long term
Choose what still looks right in three years, even when it costs us today.
Stay curious
Never stop learning, know what you don't know, and be relentless until you do.
Bias for action
Most decisions are reversible, so make them fast and let reality correct you.
Lean into hard things
Comfort isn't progress. Start with the work you'd rather avoid.
People lead, technology follows
We use AI wherever it helps, always to make people better at what they do.
To every student who's struggling right now,
I've been where you are. I know how it feels to think you're falling behind, or that success isn't meant for you. Your journey isn't over. It's just beginning.
Whether you're behind in one class or just want to do better, where you are right now isn't where you have to stay. It wasn't for me.
That's why I started TutorLyft. No student should have to figure out school alone.
Yours,
Omar
Canada is more than a place to me. It's my home. It's where I grew up, where my values were shaped, and where my parents chose to build their life.
TutorLyft is my way of giving back to the country that gave my family so much. We're a small business based in Vancouver, and every tutor on TutorLyft is in Canada.
My promise is to build a company Canada can be proud of: one that treats students, families and tutors fairly, and earns its place one lesson at a time.
Yours,
Omar
Find the tutor who changes things for you.
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