Series D & E

JW Player

Group Product Manager
May 2020 – December 2021
Senior Product Manager
January 2019 – May 2020
Product Manager
April 2017 – December 2018

JW Player is a leading streaming video technology company powering billions of plays globally for top publishers and broadcasters. During my time there, the company raised Series E funding, grew 30–40% YoY, and scaled to high eight-figure revenue. I was promoted twice, ultimately leading all playback products across web, mobile, smart TVs, and ads.

Modernizing video playback

I led the 2017 overhaul of JW Player’s flagship video player—refreshing the look, cutting load time by 30%, and setting a new UX standard across our publisher base.

I partnered with design on key decisions, project managed the on-time release, and rewrote all documentation.

The redesign beat adoption targets and is still the default player experience across billions of plays today.

A video playing Big Buck Bunny, an animated rabbit exiting a grassy burrow in a cartoon forest setting.

Before

A video playing a dog standing in the snow facing a sheep. Other sheep are grazing in the snowy background.

After

Simplifying integrations

I owned the full player stack, from API, to JavaScript config, to the SaaS dashboard UI. I led the redesign of our web-based Player Builder, enabling publishers to create, configure, and embed players without needing custom code.

I also launched a JSON editor for advanced workflows, giving developers more flexibility and cutting integration time. These tools became essential to customer retention and expansion.

Screenshot of a video player setup interface with options for player size, playback settings, and a video preview titled 'Hiking on the Edge.'

Customization at scale

Our player powered top media companies like Fox Sports (Super Bowl LIV), IMDb, and CNBC, who relied on JW for a player that was extensible, fast, and always on-brand.

I shaped the player’s flexible theming system, balancing simplicity for everyday customers with the depth needed by major broadcasters. We enabled automatic localization and branding without sacrificing performance, helping customers launch faster and look great doing it.

Screenshot of a Fox Sports online stream featuring Super Bowl LIV between the 49ers and Chiefs, taking place in Miami. The screen shows a football field with a player and game stats at the bottom.

Mobile app interface showing movie "Tenet," with trailer thumbnail, description, and release date. Buttons for playing trailer, adding to watchlist, and genre tags "Action" and "Sci-Fi."

Screenshot of CNBC Make It website featuring an article about a person living on Martha's Vineyard. The image shows a person gesturing on a street with a small building and houses in the background. There are advertisements for kitchen tools on the side.

Optimizing for key metrics

I partnered with design and data science to develop and A/B test new recommendation interfaces that boosted video clickthrough rates across publisher sites. We tested icons, labels, layouts, and placement strategies while balancing UX constraints like small screen sizes and intent signals.

Insights from our work shaped the design of JW Player’s recommendation engine and directly increased video engagement and ad revenue.

Smartphone screen displaying a video playlist interface with thumbnails for videos titled "Hiking on the Edge," "Blacksmith," "Cycle Tour: Tuscany to Umbria," "Dogsledding in Alaska," and "Joy Ride."

Video player interface showing a landscape video thumbnail with a person hiking at sunset. Below are thumbnail previews of additional videos, including cycling, dogsledding, and sparklers, with titles and durations. A "More Videos" section on the right shows a playlist of video options with thumbnails and titles like "Cycle Tour: Tuscany to Umbria" and "Friends with Sparklers."

Driving monetization

Video ads powered JW Player’s business and our customers’. After taking over ad playback, I shipped features like the floating player and outstream ad support, each generating seven-figures in revenue.

I also led our shift to proprietary header bidding, deepening our adtech capabilities. I became a subject matter expert in video monetization, balancing user experience, reliability, and revenue at the heart of the platform.

"The End" text with clouds in the background, advertisement overlay with options to learn more and replay video.

Screenshot of an ad management interface with a video ad preview. The interface includes options to select ad clients, schedule IDs, and configure ad breaks with options such as VAST and Google IMA. The video ad preview shows three women smiling and talking outdoors.

GET IN TOUCH

Need seasoned product help?

Embed hands-on guidance for B2B2C startups to align teams, hire staff, and ship on time—starting in days, not months.

Schedule a call