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Innovation & growth
don't just happen

A business-driven product leader building systems that deliver at scale — from Sephora's enterprise brand platform and Warner Music Group's AI media tools to community radio across three markets. On-site and remotely.

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Profile

A product leader
who ships.

I identify the right problems, build the systems to solve them, and make those systems deliver — at scale, across teams, under real constraints. I go beyond the interface: strategy, operations, AI implementation, and outcomes that move the business.

Director of Product at Sephora managing the brand partner data platform and marketing technology stack for 170+ global partners. Presidio delivery lead for Warner Music Group's AI media tools and Microsoft Fabric Real-Time Intelligence. Founder of a three-station FCC-licensed community radio network. Former Design Sprint consultant for Microsoft, Deloitte, Deutsche Bahn, Google, HERE, and TransferGo.

What I do

How I can help

Design Sprints

From problem to validated prototype in 4 days. I've run sprints for Microsoft, Deloitte, Deutsche Bahn, Google, and more. You need the right product — not just a good one.

AI Product Implementation

Generative audio pipelines. Intelligent content tagging at scale. AI that ships into production — not demos. I scope, architect, and deliver with real business outcomes.

Product Strategy & Platform Leadership

Platform architecture, partner enablement, OKRs, roadmaps, stakeholder alignment. I've managed platforms serving 170+ enterprise partners. I know what breaks at scale before it breaks.

Training & Workshops

I teach product and design teams how to work better and faster. Design Sprints, MVP discovery, user research — hands-on, built around your actual problems.

Tangible results over endless conversations.

Informed decisions over guesswork.

Outcomes and results over output.

Selected work

Case studies

Who I've worked with

Consulting clients

Remote & on-site

Time zones won't stand in the way of results. I work with companies that drive change — wherever they are.

I teach, not just deliver

I build capability in your team so they keep producing results after I'm gone. That's the work that lasts.

Get in touch

For case studies,
casual chats & more

Want to run a sprint, scope an AI build, or work through a product problem? Book time directly or drop a line.

hi@danielkarlroberts.com

Find me

Where to connect

Case study

The problem

Warner Music Group needed a production-grade AI pipeline to create remixes and stems at catalog scale — without compromising audio quality or creative intent. The challenge was architectural: handling BPM drift on older recordings, maintaining stem separation quality across decades of production styles, and surfacing a usable interface for creative teams on top of that infrastructure. WMG has publicly committed to "professional-grade tools that enable artists, songwriters, and producers to experiment, compose, and produce using ethically trained models."

The approach

Led Sprint 3 delivery and stakeholder communications across WMG and Presidio engineering. Architected the production pipeline using Melbourne Reformer for stem separation and ACES/ACE-Step for generative audio. Managed cross-functional alignment across WMG creative and technical leadership while coordinating the Presidio engineering team. Drove PRD alignment to sign-off, triaged two critical issues (ARG-142 spike on stem quality, ARG-143 defect), and documented a strategic risk around the pivot from remixes to covers for Phase 2 scoping.

Outcomes

PRD signed off at Sprint 3 — full team aligned before build
Functional stem separation pipeline deployed on AWS production infrastructure
Vocal quality risks on older catalog (BPM drift) identified and tracked before becoming blockers
Phase 2 scoped with strategic risk register covering remix-to-covers pivot
WMG Phase 2 interest confirmed — internal signal from WMG stakeholder

Stack & tools

AWSMelbourne ReformerACES/ACE-StepPythonAudio MLJira

Interested in working together on something similar?

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Case study

The problem

Sephora's 170+ brand partners had no reliable way to see their own performance data. Reporting was fragmented across ThoughtSpot, internal dashboards, and ad hoc requests — slow, inconsistent, and requiring engineering support for every query. Social media data was processed manually through a PIQ-dependent workflow, meaning partners couldn't act on insights quickly enough to influence campaign decisions. The data platform had the underlying capability, but it wasn't being surfaced in a way partners could actually use.

The approach

Led product operations across four interconnected platforms: the data platform (ETL, governance), a digital asset management system with AI smart tagging, a marketing technology layer, and Project Athena — the brand performance portal giving partners real-time access to their own metrics. Drove the portal from a 7-brand pilot to 170+ active partners, building the enablement infrastructure, training programme (office hours, feedback loops, iterative releases), and data governance framework along the way. Automated the social media data pipeline, replacing the manual PIQ workflow with a system that delivered insights significantly faster.

Outcomes

Scaled from 7 brands in pilot to 170+ active brand partners on the platform
Consolidated ThoughtSpot, internal dashboards, and ad hoc requests into a single real-time portal
AI smart tagging deployed across the digital asset management system at scale
Social media data automation replaced manual PIQ-dependent workflow — faster insights for brand decisions
Partner training programme built: office hours, onboarding docs, feedback loops, iterative releases
Standardised KPIs and data governance framework established across 170+ partner relationships

📸 Add a screenshot of the Project Athena dashboard here once the Figma file is made view-accessible or a screenshot is provided.

Stack & tools

SnowflakeThoughtSpotPythonDAMAI/ML TaggingAdobe SenseiJiraConfluence

Interested in working together on something similar?

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Case study

The problem

FDB needed to modernize their data infrastructure to support real-time operational intelligence — moving from batch-heavy legacy pipelines to streaming architecture that surfaced insights as they happened. The Microsoft Fabric Real-Time Intelligence stack was the right fit, but required careful stakeholder alignment across technical and business leadership before a single line of infrastructure was committed.

The approach

Owned the IKO (Initial Key Outcomes) deck and led stakeholder alignment across FDB and Presidio. Coordinated with the Presidio delivery team on slide revisions and executive presentation strategy. Drove the architecture decision toward Fabric RTI and KQL-based event streaming, balancing capability against the client's existing data engineering maturity and change readiness.

Outcomes

IKO alignment deck delivered to FDB leadership — project phase approved
Real-Time Intelligence architecture blueprint established on Microsoft Fabric
Cross-functional Presidio and FDB stakeholders aligned on technical roadmap and sequencing

📸 Add post-delivery metrics once the engagement progresses.

Stack & tools

Microsoft FabricKQLAzure Event HubsPower BIReal-Time Intelligence

Interested in working together on something similar?

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Case study

The problem

Each engagement started the same way: a team with a real problem, limited time, and too many competing opinions about the solution. The Design Sprint framework cuts through that noise by forcing decisions and validating assumptions before any code is written. But running an effective sprint isn't just about the process — it's about reading the room, managing stakeholder dynamics, and making sure the right decision-makers are in the room on the right day.

The approach

Ran Design Sprints and MVP discovery engagements across industries — mobility (Deutsche Bahn), fintech (TransferGo), mapping (HERE), enterprise consulting (Deloitte), and startup acceleration (Microsoft Ventures, Google Area 120). Each sprint was customized to the team's maturity, the problem type, and the decision timeline. Also delivered training workshops teaching teams to run sprints independently, building lasting capability rather than dependency.

Outcomes

20+ Design Sprints delivered across 6 major organizations on two continents
Reduced time-to-validated-prototype from months to 4 days per engagement
Internal sprint facilitation capability built at multiple client organizations
Training delivered to product, design, and engineering teams across Europe and the US

Stack & tools

Design SprintsFigmaUser ResearchPrototypingMiroWorkshop Facilitation

Interested in working together on something similar?

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Case study

The problem

Community radio in the US is hard to build and even harder to sustain. FCC licensing is complex and slow. Volunteer organizations are notoriously difficult to manage. Programming consistency is a constant battle. And the infrastructure required — transmitters, studios, streaming, compliance — doesn't come with a manual. The mission: build independent media that actually serves the communities it broadcasts to, without the compromises that come with commercial ownership.

The approach

Founded Pirate Cat Radio and built it from a single station to a three-station licensed network: KPCR 92.9FM (Los Gatos/Santa Cruz), KMRT 101.9FM, and KVBE 91.1FM (Portland). Led all FCC licensing and compliance, volunteer recruitment, Signal Society membership programme (three tiers: Carrier / Amplifier / Transmitter), broadcast infrastructure, and community partnership development. Overhauled the full volunteer documentation suite — host agreements, contributor agreements, remote/in-studio addenda, and FCC compliance frameworks — all DocuSign-ready.

Outcomes

Three licensed FM stations operating across two states
Signal Society membership programme generating recurring community revenue
Full volunteer legal documentation framework — DocuSign-ready, FCC-compliant, legally reviewed
FCC NCE FM translator applications filed in 2026 window across all three stations
Active community partnerships across arts organizations, schools, and local businesses

Stack & tools

FCC LicensingVolunteer ManagementWordPressLiquidsoapIcecastDocuSign

Interested in working together on something similar?

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