We had the pleasure of interviewing California based high-school student Anshay Saboo who launched a startup amid the global pandemic that allows high school students from around the world to still experience the tradition of yearbook signing. The name of the app which is Epilog is an online yearbook signing platform where you can create your own yearbook page and invite others to sign it. It is easy to use, secure and free. Users can sign up at epilog.it (or download the epilog app from Apple app store) and use Google or Apple credentials to quickly create an account and get started. It looks like it will be saving a generation of students from missing out on the tradition.
When the Pandemic hit the world as many other students dealt with the challenges of closures – Anshay decided to be proactive and do something about it. With the support of his family and friends he single-handedly created an app that has the potential of helping millions of students around the world continue to experience a joyful and important tradition.
The app is free of charge for students around the world and allows them to invite, sign and keep signatures from fellow students and teachers.
Key features of Epilog
Q: What inspired you to launch Epilog?
A: Due to the current global pandemic and subsequent shutdown several traditional high school experiences have been lost. I wanted to help preserve some of these experiences for my generation of students globally and this app helps give students an opportunity to still recreate these memories and still have hope.
Q: How would you define the ultimate purpose of Epilog?
A: It is essentially a platform for students, teachers and classmates to share final
thoughts and memories. One of the most cherished moments that High-Schoolers around the world share is the yearbook signing. It is an opportunity for friends to leave messages for each other that last a lifetime. There is a separation happening in a time when we’re supposed to be the closest together and Epilog allows students to share the emotions they’ve been keeping in. They now have a way to come closer together to bridge the emotional gaps created by the quarantine.
Q: What apprehensions did you face when you decided to launch this startup?
A: I knew it would be a challenge to fully recreate the yearbook experience and this was a concern of mine initially. Also as a High School student another concern I had was that due to my age the app would not be taken seriously. I am glad I did not allow these apprehensions to stop me as now we are ready to help students connect around the world.
A screenshot of the app “Epilog”
Q: This is not your first app, in addition to Epilog you have another app called “SchoolSmart” which you previously made. Where did you get the inspiration for School Smart?
A: SchoolSmart was created to help bridge the communication gap between administrators and students. It allows the activities and community of each school to be accessible for parents and students.
School Smart another app previously launched by Anshay
Q: What do you envision for the future of SchoolSmart?
A: Having more features for student to school engagement and assisting more schools with the services provided by the app to make the student experience easier.
Q: In addition to SchoolSmart and Epilog what other apps have you made?
A: Two years ago I launched Grades, an app that currently has over 200,000 downloads. It allows students to gauge their grades and provide data for the student to know what % they must achieve on exams for specific grades.
Q: For many other young readers what advice would you give on becoming a “High School Entrepreneur”
A: I have been involved in High School Entrepreneur groups and one of the most common challenges students face is “there is not enough time” – Underestimating what you are capable of is a major obstacle that you will face. There will be many challenges you will need to prepare for such as: Having others not take you seriously due to your age which could hurt your self confidence and dealing with the balance of school and work. Having a great support system is very vital to making something like this possible. I was very fortunate to have a supportive family that allowed this to be possible. My parents helped ensure I had the proper support system to succeed in both school and entrepreneurship goals. I also would like to mention my computer science teacher Mr.Kinney and my friends who all served as a great support system.
Thank you for your time and for providing such a great service to the world.
My pleasure, thank you for the opportunity.
