Pocket Prep: Peter Murphy

Pocket Prep: Peter Murphy

From Starting Small by Cameron Nagle

May 8, 2026 · 29 min · Episode 272

About this episode

Peter Murphy discusses the creation and impact of Pocket Prep, a mobile study app for working professionals preparing for certification exams.

Working full-time while studying for a professional certification, Peter realized the real problem wasn’t intelligence — it was the format. Most working adults were trying to study late at night, squeezed between jobs, bills, and family responsibilities, using outdated materials built for people with unlimited time. So in 2012, before “edtech” became a category everyone chased, Peter and his co-founders built a simple mobile study app to solve their own problem. None of them were developers. None were designers. They mocked up the first version in PowerPoint, pooled together less than $2,000, and launched an app that sold just two copies on day one. That app became Pocket Prep. Today, the company has helped more than 8 million learners prepare for over 140 certification exams across healthcare, IT, cybersecurity, finance, and the skilled trades — quietly becoming one of the most widely used study platforms for working professionals. In this episode, Peter breaks down the early years of building Pocket Prep, why consistency beats cramming, and how mobile learning changed the way adults prepare for high-stakes exams. Make sure to check them out at: https://www.pocketprep.com Check…

People in this episode

Host: Cameron Nagle

Guest: Peter Murphy

Topics covered

  • edtech
  • mobile learning
  • professional certification
  • entrepreneurship
  • study app
  • working professionals

Keywords

  • Pocket Prep
  • professional certification
  • mobile study app
  • edtech
  • entrepreneurship
  • working adults
  • high-stakes exams

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pocket Prep, Starting Small Media, Amazon

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