about
Getting to
Know Me
My name is Juan Carlos, and I’ve been telling stories for a few decades. I started as a filmmaker and turned into a product leader. Somewhere in there, I had two exceptional children. Over the last year, I’ve started publishing children’s books and writing about mental models.
ABOUT
Getting to
Know Me
My name is Juan Carlos, and I’ve been telling stories for a few decades. I started as a filmmaker and turned into a product leader. Somewhere in there, I had two exceptional children. Over the last year, I’ve started publishing children’s books and writing about mental models.
Picture Books
I read stories to my children, every night three to four books. I love this bedtime ritual: seeing their bright faces grow tired and fall asleep. I found there were stories I wanted to tell Florence and Miles that weren’t on the bookshelves. So I started writing and illustrating picture books for them.
Mental Models
Mental models are thinking tools that help guide and shape our perceptions of the world. I started writing about them because the world needs independent thinkers, folks who can parse reality figure out how the world works for themselves. If that sounds interesting, join my newsletter.
THE WHERE
Deep Dive Into My Past
Here’s what I’ve been up to most of my life.
From work to feature films and other major projects, I’m proud of.
SUNDAY GOODS
VP of Product
Sunday Goods grows all-natural, top-quality cannabis that produces specific effects through high-integrity growing. Effects that shine through a respect for the whole plant.
Adhere to a user centric feature development process
Currently designing a customizable multi-store site for a regulated product
Managing a fully remote team
ONWARD
Head of Product & Content
Onward helped users overcome behavioral addictions by tracking screen time, blocking unwanted usage, and delivering real-time guidance via an AI chatbot.
Executed a product strategy and vision for the anti-addiction app
Shepherded iOS app development
Wrote scripts for a coach chatbot
Participant Media
Director of Social Impact
Participant Media is the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that brings social awareness and engages audiences to participate in positive social change.
Guided an innovative digital platform to harness millions to effect social change
Helped design a system to examine and score the social impact of entertainment
Won Cynopsis’s Social Good Award for Best Environmental Campaign
Filmography
Know How
Writer & Director
Know How is a feature film musical that captures the reality of life in foster care from the point of view of those living in it — youth struggling in the system.
Released theatrically, on Netflix, and Participant Media’s channel
Won multiple best film awards including IndieWire Project of the Year
Petition helped pass watershed foster care legislation
Second Skin
Director & Editor
Second Skin is a documentary about online gamers who lead double lives in the virtual and real world. The film delves into the economy and psychology of technology and how it pertains to human identity.
Premiered opening night of SXSW
Voted the #4 Documentary of 2008
Released theatrically and on Hulu
SUNDAY GOODS
VP of Product
Sunday Goods grows all-natural, top-quality cannabis that produces specific effects through high-integrity growing. Effects that shine through a respect for the whole plant.
Adhere to a user centric feature development process
Currently designing a customizable multi-store site for a regulated product
Managing a fully remote team
ONWARD
Head of Product & Content
Onward helped users overcome behavioral addictions by tracking screen time, blocking unwanted usage, and delivering real-time guidance via an AI chatbot.
Executed a product strategy and vision for the anti-addiction app
Shepherded iOS app development
Wrote scripts for a coach chatbot
participant media
Director of Social Impact
Participant Media is the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that brings social awareness and engages audiences to participate in positive social change.
Guided an innovative digital platform to harness millions to effect social change
Helped design a system to examine and score the social impact of entertainment
Won Cynopsis’s Social Good Award for Best Environmental Campaign
Filmography
Know how
Writer & Director
Know How is a feature film musical that captures the reality of life in foster care from the point of view of those living in it — youth struggling in the system.
Released theatrically, on Netflix, and Participant Media’s channel
Won multiple best film awards including IndieWire Project of the Year
Petition helped pass watershed foster care legislation
Second Skin
Director & Editor
Second Skin is a documentary about online gamers who lead double lives in the virtual and real world. The film delves into the economy and psychology of technology and how it pertains to human identity.
Premiered opening night of SXSW
Voted the #4 Documentary of 2008
Released theatrically and on Hulu
Projects
Projects
White Roof Project
Founder & Product Lead
I founded
Activated over 1150 volunteers
Coated over 496,000 square feet of roof
Partnered with 175 organizations
Popten Magazine
Founding Editor
The magazine is a home for folks obsessed with quantifying pop culture and reading top ten lists.
Garners between 40-75K unique visitors per month
Managed a community of 15 writers
Guest bloggers included journalists from the NY Times and the Hollywood Reporter
White Roof Project
Founder & Product Lead
I founded
Activated over 1150 volunteers
Coated over 496,000 sq. feet of rooftop
Partnered with 175 organizations
Popten Magazine
Founding Editor
The magazine is a home for folks obsessed with quantifying pop culture and reading top ten lists.
Garners between 40-75K unique visitors per month
Managed a community of 15 writers
Guest bloggers included journalists from the NY Times and the Hollywood Reporter
THE WHAT
Defining My Discipline
Every product leader is different and comes with a special skillset that’s additive to a greater whole. I love collaborating with smart folks on complex projects.
Vision
It’s the foundation of where all my projects begin and gives breath to the higher purpose that aligns and drives teams.
Strategy
A vision without a plan isn’t much good. A strong roadmap delivers those clear milestones that take a project from concept to creation.
Design
Thinking through UX and UI problems was where I first found a love for building products. It remains one of my favorite parts of the process.
Analytics
Good product decisions emerge from understanding what users are doing and trusting the data you have built your hypotheses on.
User Research
Understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations by speaking and listening to customers is the path to success.
Release Management
None of it matters unless you ship it! Managing a backlog, prioritizing work, and releasing valuable features makes or breaks a product.
