Another successful project has emerged from the business incubator of the Innovation Center of the Ústí nad Labem Region: the startup Worksheet.ws by brothers Michael and Martin Doubk, which recently won the final presentations of Startup Go Grill. Their solution, using artificial intelligence, promises to transform the daily work of teachers and bring a modern approach to teaching.

Inspiration for change in the field from the graduation year 

The idea for Worksheet.ws was born in Michael Doubek's head at an unusual time - during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.I graduated in 2020. My class teacher was very dedicated to us even though we were teaching remotely. She later described to me how demanding it was. I remember that she would correct our work until 2 am so she could get up at 6 am and prepare for class.” Michael recalls. When he then spoke to other teachers, it became clear that this problem was widespread and still relevant. 

Michael started the project alone, with a clear vision: “For me, the key thing about Worksheet is that it has top-notch UX. That the application feels magically simple. And at the same time has a premium design." Martin joined him later. Michael didn't encounter any major hiccups when getting started because he went into the project with an open mind and followed a proven method - interviews with teachers, creating a product, and collecting feedback. "It seems to me that many people enter EdTech with strong opinions about what education should look like and then encounter reality and resistance from teachers because they try to impose their views on them,” he adds. 

What teachers currently do analogically and spend dozens of hours a month doing, they can do in a few minutes thanks to Worksheet and still win the hearts and minds of their students.

Worksheet.ws makes it easier for teachers to work in several stages: from creating assignments and their variants, through easy "distribution" to students (using links, QR codes) to quick checking and evaluation. "When it comes time to submit all the work, the teacher can easily and quickly go through all the work and check the accuracy of the automated assessment by AI, make minor corrections if necessary, and confirm that they are done with the assessment. At that moment, students will receive a notification that their work has been assessed,” Martin describes. Michael then happily adds that he is delighted when teachers use Worksheet in unexpected ways, such as on school trips for interactive field exercises. 

Business incubator as a catalyst for growth and valuable contacts 

The Doubk brothers applied to the ICUK business incubator on the recommendation of their friend.I was initially reluctant because I was worried that the incubator would take up too much of our time, which I would rather spend on our schools and working on the product,” Michael admits. In the end, this fear did not come true and the whole team is glad that he submitted the application. 

The biggest “aha moment” within the program was meeting inspiring people.”We met several very strong teams in the incubator that inspire respect and made huge progress on their projects in three months. I have already participated in the incubator in previous years with a different idea, so I was positively surprised by the comparison of the projects and their founders who graduated this year. It is clear that the Ústí nad Labem region is moving in a good direction in terms of entrepreneurship," Michael evaluates. The incubator helped them clarify their sales strategy and ICUK directly connected them to several important contacts, which significantly accelerated their progress. The victory in the final presentations of Startup Go Grill only confirmed their move to the goal. 

A tool that rapidly changes the rules of the game 

Artificial intelligence is key for Worksheet.ws. But Martin Doubek sees it like any other tool.”Even a drill can do a lot of damage if not used correctly, the same goes for AI. We cannot see AI as a savior entity, but as a tool that needs to be learned to use correctly and thus used safely."Michael then adds that we don't expect any new AI model that would change the rules in the near future, which gives us time to get used to AI." 

AI, according to Michael, will fundamentally change the way we think about software design. It allows us to serve niche industries where software has not yet made a dent, and it will also change the UI of applications.”Big companies haven't really understood this yet and are introducing front-end features that make users' work more complicated. This opens up opportunities for startups that find new, innovative patterns and make users' work really easier,” Michael thinks. 

How AI transforms education depends on how it is used. Martin points out that general generative AI is often pushed into schools instead of specific tools like Worksheet.ws.Teachers then feel pressure to use AI, but don't really know how, because addressing their needs is quite difficult even with basic AI.” he says. 

Teachers' readiness for change varies.”Some people welcome modern tools, while others say they'll just spend the next few years with pen and paper until retirement." Martin describes. Worksheet.ws aims to show that AI can be a "buddy" if it's wrapped in an intuitive and simple package. "When they see how easy it is to use Worksheet and how much time it saves them, they are excited to try it out. And they can do it for free in just a few minutes.” adds Martin. 

From the Ústí nad Labem region to the whole world 

Worksheet.ws’ plans are ambitious.”In the 2025/26 school year, we want to reach 500 schools across the Czech Republic and then focus on the USA, where EdTech is established." Michael reveals. In the long term, they want to expand worldwide, because the worksheets are used by teachers everywhere. They see India, South America, South Korea and some countries in Africa as interesting markets, where education is developing at an extreme pace. 

Finally, Michael Doubek offers advice to other people from the Ústí nad Labem region who are hesitant to implement their idea: “Start. Focus primarily on talking to customers and building the product. And choose your sources of information very carefully.“