Online classrooms fail when media and roster logic share one process, or when peer meshes pretend to scale.
Separate the SFU media plane from Nest-style session APIs. Invest in whiteboard, share, and moderation — that is what educators buy.
Network runbooks or no video
Public IP, TLS, and ICE configuration belong in the install guide.
Support spirals start with “camera works locally.”
Teaching features are the differentiator
Annotation sync, mute-all, and export matter more than another skin on a meeting tile.
Takeaways
- SFU early, mesh never (for cohorts).
- Split media plane from business API.
- Ship teaching tools, not only A/V.