Product management, platform development, and operational systems (2022-2025)

Full case study coming soon

Project Overview

In September 2022, I joined Cascade PBS as Product Manager for the Local Public project - an initiative to build a multi-platform streaming solution for PBS stations nationwide. What began as a validation-phase proof of concept became a fully operational platform serving 11+ stations across 10 streaming platforms.

The challenge: PBS stations were losing broadcast audiences while digital platforms weren't compensating for the decline. A TRAC Media study showed stations losing 808,000 linear viewers while gaining only 55,000 digital viewers - a 15:1 ratio. Meanwhile, the PBS national app gave stations minimal control over branding, content curation, or local programming visibility. Stations needed their own streaming infrastructure but lacked the resources to build it independently.

My Role

As sole Product Manager, I owned the entire product lifecycle from validation through launch and ongoing operations:

Product & Strategy

• Validated business model and technical feasibility with founding station partners
• Defined product roadmap and feature prioritization with advisory board input
• Made scope and trade-off decisions throughout development
• Managed shift from proof-of-concept to production platform

Development Coordination

• Managed all software development across internal team and offshore partner (10-15 people)
• Coordinated work across frontend apps, CMS backend, and API
• Served as primary contact for development partner
• Established monthly release cadence across 10+ app stores

Operational Infrastructure

• Built complete product management pipeline (Jira Service Management, Jira Product Discovery)
• Became release manager across all app stores (Apple, Google, Roku, Amazon, Samsung, LG)
• Set up critical issue monitoring with high-visibility alerts
• Created station collaboration infrastructure and communication systems
• Managed contractor support as station network grew

Station Partnerships

• Primary point of contact for all 11+ partner stations
• Developed standardized six-week onboarding process
• Managed stakeholder expectations through 6+ month project delays
• Built and managed Slack community for cross-station collaboration

What We Built

Platform Coverage: 10 platforms (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung TV, LG TV, iOS, iPadOS, Android, web)

Architecture: Cloud-based (AWS/GCP) multi-tenant infrastructure built primarily in React and React Native, with BrightScript for Roku. Full integration with PBS systems (Passport, MVault, SSO).

CMS: Custom content management system enabling station-specific branding, homepage customization, content curation, and direct member messaging.

Scale: 100+ individual apps live across all platforms, each branded for partner stations.

Key Accomplishments

2025: The Launch Year

• Scaled from Roku-only at start of year to full 10-platform coverage by year's end
• Onboarded 11+ partner stations with standardized processes
• Deployed 100+ apps across all platforms while maintaining live services

Revenue Performance

• Cascade PBS app generated $1.89M in Passport revenue vs $859K from PBS app (2.2x multiplier)
• 30,500 Passport members added through the app over 12 months
• Significantly better retention and conversion rates compared to PBS national app

Technical Execution

• Built and launched despite being "too complex for any single station" to tackle alone
• Navigated significant underestimation of timeline (40% off, 6+ months behind schedule)
• Maintained live service throughout entire rebuild and expansion

Major Challenges

Scope Complexity: Multi-platform streaming development proved significantly more complex than projected. Each platform required platform-specific work beyond deployment. We made the mistake of building all platforms simultaneously rather than sequentially, multiplying testing complexity.

Stakeholder Management: Managing expectations across founding sponsors, partner stations, advisory board, and internal leadership while 6+ months behind schedule required transparent communication about technical realities versus optimistic projections.

Infrastructure Decisions: Made the difficult but correct decision to rebuild core architecture before launching partner stations, adding months to timeline but avoiding much larger problems at scale.

What's Next

The platform continues to grow with multiple new station partnership announcements coming soon and a target of 20+ stations by June 2026. We're pursuing funding to spin off Local Public as an independent entity, which would enable team expansion and accelerated product development. Current initiatives include audio integration for dual licensee stations (PBS + NPR) and continued platform optimization.

Timeline: September 2022 - Present
Role: Product Manager
Organization: Cascade PBS / Local Public

Full detailed case study with technical decisions, operational systems, lessons learned, and comprehensive project journey coming soon.