Hi! My name is Joschka, but people call me Yoshi.
I believe in the power of learning to transform society.
Vibe coding BookMosaic (’25 – present)
I took a personal sabbatical to deepen my knowledge and skills around LLMs – getting AI Product Management certifications from Anthropic, Pendo, and (soon) Miqdad Jaffer, Product Leader at OpenAI.
As part of this, I taught myself to vibe code and launched BookMosaic in just a few weeks!
Vibe coding BookMosaic in 111 hours
With zero programming knowledge, I built BookMosaic in just a few weeks – learning a lot about LLMs and vibe coding in the process. My key takeaway? Classic product skills are more valuable than ever.
Ellevation – Instructional Strategies (’19 – ’25)
I led the rebuilding and repositioning of the Instructional Strategies product line (~40% of Ellevation business) to achieve product-market fit – scaling ARR 400% to $20M, increasing renewals +9% to 91%, and growing users 525% to 100K+ in 1K+ school districts across all 50 US states.
IRL UX – driving impact outside of apps in the classroom
How we rethought the Strategies product, created the professional learning modules, and in the process, figured out how to influence behavior in the real world through a digital application.
Cengage (’15 – ’18)
I defined the mobile strategy for both the HigherEd and Professional Skills divisions (30+ product groups with $1B+ revenue) – leading the iOS and Android teams. I grew the MindTap app (later Cengage) from 0 to 100K MAU and increased usage-per-user 3.3x in <2 years. I also built, launched, and, later, integrated the Pronounce and AP Test Prep apps into the new unified Cengage app as part of the Cengage Unlimited launch.
Playrific (’13 – ’15)
Playrific leveraged it’s propriety platform to cost-effectively build white-labeled edutainment apps for children’s brands. I managed the brand partnerships, app development, and GTM launches for all 40+ brands (including K’NEX, Jungle Book, TechStars for Kids, and Grumpy Cat) while optimizing app store positioning to generate 600K+ organic downloads across iOS, Android, and Kindle.
LoveGov (’12 – ’13)
Out of college, I founded LoveGov along with several other Brown and RISD grads. I raised $100K and we built and political matching and social networking tool in time for the election. We didn’t gain enough traction to continue – but it was a great learning experience.
Till Financial (’19 – ’20) and ESGs (’21)
While on sabbatical, I consulted for Till Financial part-time and helped them craft a financial literacy and teen banking product vision – with which they subsequently raised $5M and have been named top 10 budget and family banking apps by US News every year since.
Ethical investing is also a passion of mine – and I published my thoughts on the topic a few years ago.
ESGs and socially responsible investing – everything you need to know
If you are someone who recycles, buys fair trade, and has a 401k, it’s time to think about going ESG with your portfolio. Here’s…
LeftTimes (’18 – present)
Using WordPress, I built, launched, and continue to curate LeftTimes for 5K+ users. It’s a simple aggregator bringing together thoughtful articles, videos, and podcasts aggregated from 200+ liberal publications. Check it out!
A bit about me
I like to write. My most popular article has 400K+ views…
Question: What are some things many people pretend to like but don’t actually enjoy?
“If it is a nightlife spot where the music is blasting and everyone is standing, if you look around, you’ll see that most people aren’t enjoying themselves.
Check out that group of tall, strong guys. They have their bro-ish moment taking their shots and roaring at a hilarious joke. But watch closely and…”
I love audiobooks. I listen to ~100 per year
I am most fascinated by the topic of civilizations and what makes them rise and fall. But I enjoy all topics across history, science, culture, economics, business, education, healthcare, philosophy, memoirs, science fiction, fantasy, and classic literature.
Dancing West Coast Swing is my main hobby…
WCS is a modern evolution of swing dancing. It is a slotted partner dance known for its elastic connection, playful improvisation, and breadth of music across blues, R&B, folk, hip-hop, and contemporary pop.
I recently qualified for “Intermediate” (after 5+ years)!
Yoshi - Joschka Tryba 