Overview
As a Senior Software Engineer on the Instagram Feed team, I led the product development, engineering execution, and data analysis for multiple high-impact integrations between Instagram and Threads. These projects were critical to Threads' growth strategy, driving significant increases in user acquisition, engagement, and content creation.
The Challenge
Threads launched in July 2023 and needed to rapidly grow its user base and content volume. The challenge was clear: how do we leverage Instagram's massive user base to drive Threads adoption without disrupting the Instagram experience?
Key constraints included:
- User experience: Changes couldn't feel intrusive or damage Instagram engagement
- Technical complexity: Two apps with different architectures needed seamless integration
- Measurement: We needed robust A/B testing to validate impact without risking regressions
- Scale: Any solution had to work at Instagram's scale (billions of daily interactions)
Solution: Multi-Pronged Integration Strategy
1. IG Feed → Threads Crossposting
I developed and launched the crossposting feature that allows users to simultaneously share content to both Instagram and Threads. This reduced friction for content creators and helped bootstrap Threads' content ecosystem.
The implementation required:
- New UI affordances in the Instagram post composer
- Backend coordination between Instagram and Threads posting pipelines
- Handling edge cases: failed posts, partial failures, content format differences
- Analytics infrastructure to track cross-platform content performance
2. Threads Onboarding from IG Feed
I led product development for a new onboarding flow that surfaces Threads content and sign-up prompts within the Instagram Feed. This capitalized on high-intent moments when users were already engaged with social content.
The approach involved:
- Identifying optimal placement within the feed algorithm
- Multiple A/B tests to optimize conversion rates
- Personalization based on user behavior and friend graph
- Careful measurement to ensure no negative impact on Instagram metrics
3. Navigation Flow Optimization
I developed and launched a navigation change where tapping on a Thread in the IG Feed directs users to the tapped post being pinned to the top of the Threads main feed, rather than a permalink view. This encouraged deeper engagement with the Threads app.
Results
These integrations delivered significant, measurable impact on Threads' growth metrics:
Additional metrics from specific projects:
- Crossposting: +510K daily original posts, +11% top-line original posts, +185K eWAU on Threads
- Onboarding flow: +40% onboarded users (+320K per day), +50K new daily active users
- Navigation change: +2.12% eDAU, +1.34% eWAU, +1.74% post impressions on Threads
Technical Approach
iOS Architecture
The iOS implementation was primarily in Swift, with some Objective-C for legacy integration points. Key architectural decisions included:
- Protocol-oriented design for flexible component composition
- Dependency injection for testability
- Feature flags for gradual rollout and A/B testing
- Comprehensive analytics instrumentation
Cross-Platform Consistency
Server-side components were built in PHP/Hack to ensure consistency across platforms. This included:
- Unified API contracts for iOS and Android
- Server-driven UI for rapid iteration
- Centralized experiment configuration
Data-Driven Development
Every feature was developed with measurement in mind:
- Pre-defined success metrics and guardrails
- A/B testing with statistical rigor
- Real-time dashboards for monitoring rollouts
- Post-launch analysis to inform iteration
Lessons Learned
- Start with measurement: Defining success metrics upfront forced clarity on goals and enabled rapid iteration based on data.
- Cross-functional collaboration is essential: These projects required tight coordination between iOS, Android, backend, design, product, and data science teams.
- Small changes can have outsized impact: The navigation change was relatively simple technically but drove significant engagement improvements.
- Protect the core experience: Our focus on guardrail metrics ensured we grew Threads without harming Instagram—a critical constraint for long-term success.
Related Work
During this period, I also contributed to several other Instagram projects:
- Re-architected the IG Feed attribution system from Obj-C to Swift
- Developed video playback controls for Reels in the main Feed
- Led Digital Systems Act compliance across iOS surfaces
- Increased E2E test coverage from 10% to 100% for core Explore flows