Atlanta-based entrepreneur Zack Hargett and his co-founder have developed Coconote, an AI-powered study assistant that has attracted 1.5 million users since its launch in April 2024. Unlike other AI platforms that focus on solving problems or generating essays for students, Coconote aims to help users create stronger study materials.
“We want to be on the right side of [AI] history here. We want to help students actually learn,” Hargett told Hypepotamus.
The app is designed to improve the efficiency of studying rather than eliminate it altogether. Users can record lectures directly through the app, which then produces a transcript and personalized study materials such as quizzes, flash cards, practice exams, podcasts, games, videos, and mind maps.
“Humans are not meant to multitask, and that’s why Coconote exists,” Hargett said. The tool allows students to focus on lectures without having to take notes in real time.
Coconote also addresses challenges faced by students who experience social anxiety or have learning disabilities by enabling them to interact with recorded lecture notes privately. This feature has resonated with students seeking judgement-free support in their studies.
Initially created out of Hargett’s own need for compressing information from various sources including YouTube links and written materials, Coconote now employs four full-time engineers and twelve part-time content creators who help reach its target audience online.
Recently, the company announced that teachers can access a year-long subscription to Coconote’s premium version at no cost. While most users are still students and parents, teachers have begun using the app as an advanced study tool in classrooms.
Hargett explained the decision: opening up the premium version for free was “simply the right thing to do,” noting that “teachers are already doing incredible work with limited resources.”
Looking ahead, Hargett says Coconote will introduce new tools aimed at helping teachers distribute information and understand student engagement more effectively.
Before founding Coconote, Hargett worked as a Product Manager at YikYak during its rapid growth phase and later joined Loom in San Francisco as one of its early employees before it was acquired by Atlassian. These experiences shaped his approach toward building technology products with broad cultural impact.
“There’s something magical about impacting culture,” he said. “When it comes down to my personal mission, I know I enjoy creating products that are in the zeitgeist.”
On ethical considerations in AI development, Hargett added: “There’s an ethical line that I would say every entrepreneur really does have to draw. Otherwise, if you just follow the profits and follow the market…you may find yourself in a position that you’re really not proud to say and associate your name with.”
