Reading Rainbow needed to evolve from its Emmy-winning television heritage to reach a new generation of digital-native children. With $3M in startup funding secured and just three months until launch, they faced an impossible challenge: building a digital library of 150 interactive books when the team hadn't produced a single publisher-approved book after a full year of trying.
Reading Rainbow had secured $3M in startup funding to transform the 12-time Emmy-winning television show into an early literacy EdTech platform for the app generation. The vision was clear: create a digital library of interactive books that would maintain the brand's educational integrity while delivering an engaging digital experience.
The execution, however, had stalled completely. After a full year of effort, the existing team had not completed a single interactive book well enough to gain publisher approval. They couldn't figure out how to transform publishers' PDFs into the interactive digital experiences they envisioned. With only three months until the planned launch and a library of 150 interactive books required as the minimum viable product, the entire $3M investment was at risk.
Reading Rainbow thought they were hiring Ryan Modjeski and his team to provide creative leadership given their background in digital publishing. What they actually needed was operational transformation and a complete reimagining of the production process.
Initially engaged as a consultant through Honeybee Labs (now part of The Delacorte Group), Ryan Modjeski and his team developed a strategic approach to digital content production that would become the industry standard.
Paused all production and created a proof-of-concept interactive book in just one week. This prototype established the quality standard and received immediate publisher approval, demonstrating that the vision was achievable with the right approach. The prototype pioneered UI and UX elements that became standard across the digital children's book industry.
Made the difficult but necessary decision to let the existing team go, as they were fundamentally misaligned with the execution requirements. Rapidly assembled and trained a specialized team of 12 digital professionals with complementary skills in education, design, and technology.
Designed a scalable "digital factory" production system that balanced quality with efficiency. Rather than treating each book as a custom project, created repeatable processes and quality gates that enabled consistent output at scale while maintaining Reading Rainbow's trusted brand integrity.
Established collaborative relationships with leading children's book publishers, ensuring access to premium content while respecting intellectual property. Developed publisher approval processes that maintained quality standards while enabling production velocity.
Implemented rigorous educational and interactive design standards that maintained Reading Rainbow's trusted brand integrity. Every book underwent multiple quality reviews ensuring both technical excellence and educational value before publisher submission.
We didn't just meet an impossible deadline—we created a new distribution model for digital picture books that the entire industry would go on to adopt.
— The Digital Transformation Story
The digital transformation initiative delivered extraordinary results that exceeded all expectations:
Completed 150 publisher-approved interactive books within the three-month timeline, saving the $3M investment and enabling the planned launch. Transformed what appeared impossible into a reproducible system.
The app maintained top-10 ranking as a paid education app on Apple for three consecutive years, demonstrating sustained market success and consistent product quality that resonated with both parents and educators.
Pioneered a new digital distribution model for picture books that has since been widely adopted throughout the children's publishing industry, establishing the template others would follow.
The success of the digital strategy led to a team-wide acqui-hire, with Ryan joining Reading Rainbow's leadership team as Director of Product to continue building on the platform's success.