In an era where social media platforms are constantly evolving, Meta (formerly Facebook) faced a significant challenge: to develop a new microblogging service in just five months to rival Twitter. The result was Threads, an app that leveraged a monolithic architecture to achieve rapid development. This article delves into how Meta managed to pull off this feat, drawing insights from Zahan Malkani’s presentation at the 2024 London QCon conference.
The Challenge and Response
In January 2023, Meta learned that it had to create a微博 service to compete with Twitter within a few months. The company quickly assembled a dedicated team, and by July, it had launched a new social networking application called Threads. The development process was intense, but Meta’s strategy was clear: leverage existing resources and focus on core functionalities to deliver a minimum viable product (MVP) quickly.
Values and Milestones
Threads was designed with four core values in mind. First, it emphasized text content, differentiating itself from Instagram, which prioritizes media. Each post on Threads begins with text. Second, the app aimed to maintain Instagram’s design language and essence, leveraging the platform’s simplicity and quality. Third, Meta recognized the importance of openness, allowing the community to use APIs to create personalized experiences and ensuring public content was widely accessible. Lastly, the company prioritized creators, understanding that a small group of users generate most of the content consumed by others.
To guide development, Meta set four milestones, each representing a potential completion state. The first milestone focused on the most basic app functionality, allowing users to log in, post text-only content, and link posts to their accounts. The second milestone added essential elements like browsing feeds, viewing notifications, and accessing profiles, along with user verification and reporting features. The third milestone, termed Streamlined Launch Candidate, concentrated on improving services like person search and introducing a full-screen viewer for images and videos. Finally, the fourth milestone aimed to achieve interoperability with the Fediverse, marking a near-final release candidate.
Accelerating Development
Developing Threads from scratch in just five months was an ambitious goal. The project officially started in February with a commitment to be ready by summer. Meta’s confidence stemmed from the ability to leverage existing Instagram features. Instagram’s intuitive sharing functions, where users can follow profiles, browse posts, and interact with content, formed the foundation for Threads.
The monolithic architecture played a crucial role in speeding up development. This approach allowed the team to focus on building a single, unified codebase, making it easier to manage and iterate. By using Instagram’s existing infrastructure and design elements, Meta saved significant time and resources. The company also adopted an agile development process, breaking down the project into smaller, manageable tasks and setting clear milestones.
Iterative Development and Launch
Throughout the development process, Meta’s team focused on delivering functional milestones rather than a fully-fledged product. This approach enabled them to iterate quickly and make necessary adjustments. Each milestone was a stepping stone, introducing the next critical feature while ensuring the core functionalities were robust.
The final product, released as version 3.5, represented a significant iteration from the initial MVP. Although the team did not reach the fourth milestone of Fediverse interoperability, they achieved a critical milestone by focusing on the most essential features. This iterative approach allowed Meta to refine Threads based on user feedback and technical requirements.
Conclusion
Meta’s development of Threads demonstrates the power of leveraging existing resources and adopting a monolithic architecture to achieve rapid development. By setting clear milestones and focusing on core functionalities, Meta managed to deliver a competitive microblogging service in just five months. As social media continues to evolve, Meta’s approach to developing Threads offers valuable lessons for companies looking to innovate quickly in a highly competitive market.
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