Code Story: Insights from Startup Tech Leaders

Developer Chats - Svyatoslav Babinets of Meta

Dec 8, 2025

Svyatoslav Babinets, an Engineering Manager at Meta, boasts a rich background in large-scale multiplayer games and 3D systems. He delves into the intricacies of building architectures that support millions of users, highlighting the balance between high development velocity and user experience. The discussion covers effective strategies for fostering cross-functional collaboration through virtual mission squads. Svyatoslav shares insights on designing reliable platform ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of trust in engineering decisions while envisioning the future of human-digital interaction.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Make Performance A Product Requirement

Treat performance and latency as product requirements, not optional niceties.
Make budgets visible and enforce them with data-driven defaults to prevent resource overload.

ADVICE

Design For Modular, Fast Contributions

Keep components modular and reduce interdependencies so teams can work in parallel.
Provide templates, docs, and easy local builds so contribution paths are short and safe.

ADVICE

Use Virtual Mission Squads For Impact

Assemble ad hoc cross-functional "virtual mission squads" with clear end-to-end objectives.
Give squads autonomy within top-down guardrails so they iterate quickly and own outcomes.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Today, we are kicking off a new series, entitled Developer Chats - hearing from the large scale system builders themselves.

In this episode, we are talking with Svyatoslav Babinets, Engineering Manager at Meta. Svyatoslav helps to illuminate teh approaches he takes when building larger scale systems, connecting millions of users, and motivating users and developers alike.

Questions

You’ve worked on everything from large-scale multiplayer worlds to social technologies that power digital presence — how did that journey shape the way you think about engineering today?
You’ve worked on systems that connect millions of users across different platforms and products. How do you design architecture that supports high development velocity in large teams while still delivering experiences that delight users?
In your experience, what helps large companies move faster without sacrificing quality? Can you share how approaches like Virtual mission squad enable cross-functional collaboration across different disciplines and tech stacks?
As systems and teams grow, platform solutions often become the glue that holds everything together. How do you approach designing and implementing platform architecture that supports autonomy while keeping the whole ecosystem consistent?
From your experience, where do culture and infrastructure intersect? What kinds of engineering decisions are really decisions about trust, not technology?
You’ve worked both in games and in metaverse projects. What do these worlds teach us about building systems that feel alive — where motion, identity, and emotion all need to synchronize?
Large-scale systems evolve constantly. How do you design for long-term adaptability — ensuring that architecture remains flexible and scalable as product and user demands grow?
Looking ahead, how do you see the future of human–digital interaction? What should the next generation of engineers focus on — performance, presence, or empathy?

LInks

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/code-story-insights-from-startup-tech-leaders/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy