✉️ This AI note-taking app built for students makes $200,000/month.
Built for students that makes $2.4M ARR...
👋 Hi and welcome to today’s edition of Venture Radar — where we uncover real internet businesses making real money, and break down how they do it.
Today’s story? An AI study sidekick that quietly making over $200,000 per month— just by taking notes for students.
Just a clean app that turns lectures into flashcards, quizzes, and summaries — and students absolutely love it.
Let’s break down how CocoNote pulled this off.
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🧠 Quick Summary
Name: CocoNote – AI Note Taker
What it does: AI-powered study assistant that turns lectures, videos, and audio into clean notes, flashcards, quizzes, and summaries.
Revenue: $200,000 per month ~ $2.4 Million ARR
Model: Freemium with weekly, monthly, and yearly subscription plans
Founded by: Zack Hargett
Website: Coconote App
📝 What Is Coconote - Ai Note Taker ? - So what makes
At first glance, CocoNote looks like a basic transcription app.
But open it during a lecture or YouTube tutorial, and you’ll quickly see — this isn’t just about recording what’s said. It’s about making studying feel easier.
CocoNote listens in real-time, understands what’s being taught, and instantly turns that into something useful:
Organized, easy-to-read notes
Flashcards for quick reviews
Quizzes to test yourself
Audio recaps that feel like mini-podcasts
Even video snippets if you’re learning from YouTube or PDFs
In one tap, your raw content becomes a full study toolkit.
What really makes CocoNote different is how thoughtfully it’s designed. It’s not trying to show off fancy AI — it’s built for students who just want to learn better without burning out. Whether you’re juggling finals, struggling with ADHD, or learning in your second language, it gives you clarity without the chaos.
And it's actually enjoyable to use. The interface is clean, it works across iOS, Android, and desktop, and it quietly handles your study life in the background — no stress, no noise.
In a world of overbuilt tools, CocoNote wins by keeping it simple: “We’ll take notes. You just focus on learning.”
🕵️♂️ So, who’s the guy behind Taller?
Coconote was co-founded by Zack Hargett, a former designer and product lead at Loom — yes, the popular async video tool used by millions. After Loom, Zack didn’t rush into building another productivity app. Instead, he noticed something more painful: the way students struggle to juggle listening, understanding, and taking notes — all at once — during lectures.
He kept hearing the same thing:
“I wish I could just focus on the lecture instead of scribbling everything down.”
That stuck with him. So in 2024, Zack and his co-founder decided to build a tool that would make note-taking feel invisible — handled quietly in the background by AI, while the student actually pays attention.
The idea became Coconote: a simple app that listens to lectures, podcasts, webinars — even YouTube — and turns them into structured notes, flashcards, quizzes, and summaries in seconds. Think of it as an AI-powered study sidekick that learns alongside you.
They launched quietly. No massive campaigns. Just a clean product, a problem that hit home, and a lot of word-of-mouth love from students on TikTok and Reddit.
And it worked. Within just a few months, Coconote crossed 400,000+ users, got featured by Apple as a top study tool, and hit $200K/month in revenue — all without any VC funding.
But Zack’s goal wasn’t just financial. His mission is simple:
“Make studying less stressful — and give every student the tools to learn better, no matter their background.”
That mindset shows up in everything — from the app’s clean UX to its multilingual support, and even its subtle nudges to remind students to take breaks.
Coconote isn’t just an app. It’s a quiet revolution in how we learn — started by a guy who listened to what students really needed and actually built it.
📬 Distribution strategy: How they found users?
Again, Coconut AI has nailed TikTok as a distribution channel. Here’s how they did it.
Let’s look into some formats:
Format - 1
Hook: attractive professor + text that sparks curiosity to keep watching the video
100% conversion-focused format
Creates a need for the user to download it
This video got over 2 million views:
Format - 2
Hook: “bruh I just found…” + surprised face
Shows a feature of the app that grabs attention + creates a sense of need for the viewer
This video got over 200,000 views:
You can clearly see, even in crowded market - you need a good distribution channel with strategy to hook people.
👨🔧 Why it works
Let’s be real, the AI note-taking space is crowded. There are dozens of tools that promise transcription, summaries, and smart notes.
But Coconote doesn’t win because it’s the most powerful AI. It wins because it’s built for students, not just techies.
Here’s why it works so well and why students are happily paying for it:
It focuses on learning, not just note-taking
Most apps stop at transcription. CocoNote goes further: it gives you flashcards, quizzes, audio summaries, and even visual clips.
It’s not just about capturing info — it’s about helping you remember and understand it.
It removes overwhelm
CocoNote simplifies the hardest part of learning: managing attention. You just press record, listen to your lecture or YouTube class, and everything else happens in the background. No switching tabs. No falling behind.
It's tailor-made for real student workflows
Other tools are built like enterprise software. CocoNote feels like a cozy, personal study assistant. The UI is intuitive, the features are practical, and the experience works across iOS, Android, and Web — so it meets students where they are.
It's priced for accessibility
$5/week or $10/month isn’t pocket change, but compared to tutors or even overpriced textbooks, it’s a steal. And once students see it saving them hours, they stick around.
It has emotional design baked in
From multilingual support for ESL students to break reminders for neurodivergent learners — CocoNote actually feels like it was made by someone who gets what student life is like.
Word-of-mouth distribution
Instead of pouring money into ads, the team focused on building something that people wanted to share. CocoNote took off on TikTok and Reddit — not through hacks, but because students really liked it.
CocoNote has a 4.8-star rating from over 9,000 reviews on the App Store. From nursing students and grad school crammers to neurodivergent learners and everyday note-takers.
💡 Build something like this
Here are 5 real, practical product ideas inspired by CocoNote — designed for people who learn, teach, or share knowledge online.
A note-taking app made just for ADHD & neurodivergent learners
Not everyone learns the same. Imagine an app that breaks down lectures into bite-sized chunks, adds calm voice recaps, and builds in gentle reminders — perfect for students who struggle with traditional study tools.A session recap tool for coaches, therapists, and consultants
After every call, this tool turns your conversation into clean, structured notes. Key takeaways, action items, questions — all ready to send to your client in 30 seconds.A browser tool that auto-summarizes YouTube, Zoom, and Google Meet
You’re watching a 90-minute video. This extension gives you a 5-minute digest with timestamps, quiz questions, and highlights — great for remote learners or binge researchers.A repurposing tool for creators and educators
One upload, multiple formats. This tool chops your video into shorts, creates a blog post, and even generates social captions — built for busy creators who want to do more with less.A group-study tool powered by AI
Learning with friends? This app lets you co-create flashcards, quiz each other, and even run timed study sessions — all synced in real time, with AI nudging you along when needed.
🧐 What you can learn
You don’t need to invent AI — just apply it better
There are dozens of AI note-taking tools out there. What made CocoNote stand out wasn’t the tech — it was the execution. Focused UX, clean design, and solving student problems, not just technical ones.
Solve pain, not just productivity
CocoNote doesn’t pitch itself as “save 2 hours.” It sells relief: no more missing notes, no more lecture panic. Emotional pain > time savings — that’s what people pay for.
Distribution wins when paired with real testimonials
Many of CocoNote’s growth loops are built around organic reviews, social proof, and “you’ve got to try this” moments. That 4.8-star rating (with 9K+ reviews!) isn’t luck — it’s a retention signal built into the product.
Build for a specific moment, not everyone
CocoNote isn’t trying to be Notion or Google Docs. It’s there when you’re in a lecture, on a call, or watching YouTube — and it makes that moment feel 10x better. That sharp focus builds trust and habit.
Don’t be afraid to charge — especially in education
Students spend on tutors, coaching, and prep apps all the time. CocoNote understood its value, didn’t underprice itself, and that confidence led to real revenue — $200K/month and growing.
📈 Similar businesses on the radar
Yes, the AI note-taking space is wildly crowded right now.
Every week, a new startup launches an “AI study assistant” or “note maker from lectures.” Open the App Store and you’ll see hundreds of them. Most have slick branding. Many even work decently well.
But only a few are actually making real money.
Why?
Because building the app is the easy part. What separates the winners is distribution.
Coconote didn’t just build a good product — they figured out how to get it in front of millions of students. TikTok virality. Student influencers. Study memes. App Store optimization. All of it matters.
So yes, the market is crowded. But that doesn’t mean it’s closed.
If you can nail distribution — and solve a real, painful problem for students — there’s still room to build something big.
You don’t need to reinvent note-taking. You just need to make students feel like your app actually helps them win.
❓ Would you build this?
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