Roast my idea: Am I giving human psychology too much credit? (TikTok for Education)

I’m looking for honest feedback on a platform idea I’m exploring. I suspect this group may have some educated feedback for me.

The Problem: "Doom Scrolling Guilt" - I struggle with this.

We all doom scroll on TikTok/Reels. It feels good in the moment, but we often feel like trash afterward because we didn't learn anything. On the flip side, we want to learn, but 2-hour video courses or 40-page eBooks feel like "homework."

The Solution:

I want to build a "TikTok for Carousels" (I know, "TikTok for X" is a cliché, but it describes the UX perfectly).

Think of the educational PDF carousels you see on LinkedIn (5-10 slides, bite-sized tactical value), but in a dedicated mobile app designed for binge-learning, not networking.

UX: Vertical scroll to discover new topics → Horizontal scroll to read the specific lesson.
The Content: Starting with Sales & Marketing (high-value, tactical content).
For Creators: Currently, carousel creators get likes but $0. This platform lets them gate content.

Proposed Monetization:"Freemium Slides."

Slides 1-3 are free (The Hook).
Slide 4-10 are locked.
User pays to unlock the rest + get downloadable templates.

I need your help with 3 specific debates:

The Psychology: Am I giving people too much credit? Do people actually want to learn in their spare time, or do they just say they do but actually prefer mindlessly watching cat videos?
Ads vs. Micropayments: As a user, would you rather:
A) Pay small amounts (e.g., $0.50) to unlock a specific guide?B) Pay a flat sub (e.g., $5/mo) for unlimited access?C) Get it for free, but have Ads inserted between slides?
The Format: Is the "Tiktok Carousel" format actually a good learning method, or is there another delivery format you would recommend?

Roast the idea - I’d rather know it’s bad now than in 6 months.

Will be built with Supabase, n8n, and NextJS.

Thanks!

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