{"id":683,"date":"2023-04-04T11:45:58","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T11:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/?p=683"},"modified":"2023-04-13T11:01:50","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T11:01:50","slug":"team-behind-the-tech-economy-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/?p=683","title":{"rendered":"Team Behind the Tech \u2013 Economy Group"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as they do in the physical world, goods, services, and entertainment power a thriving economy on Roblox. Our Economy Group develops the infrastructure that makes this possible; their vision is to create a vibrant, virtual economy that mirrors the real world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAs a company, our goal is to have over a billion people on the platform. That means that a lot of what happens in daily life needs to be possible on Roblox,\u201d says Antoni Choudhuri, who recently took on the role of Head of Engineering for the Economy Group. \u201cAnd a big part of that daily life includes the economic factors which exist in the real world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what do those factors look like on the platform\u2014and what are the opportunities they enable? For Antoni, questions of how the Roblox economy will scale with the platform and how it will grow to serve the needs of the community are intertwined. \u201cWe have a few core areas we are currently focusing on in the Economy Group: Marketplace, Advertising, Developer Monetization, and Payments &amp; Fraud.\u00a0 Between these teams, Economy is responsible for powering a healthy economic ecosystem that supports commerce of UGC and enables some top-performing members of the creator community to build thriving businesses on Roblox.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To learn more about the team behind the tech, we spoke to four other members of the Economy Group: Product Manager Alex Amorati, Technical Lead Shweta Sharma, Senior Product Manager Shu-min Wee, and Senior Software Engineer Noah Crowley.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>The Technical Challenges Behind Building a Thriving, Virtual Economy<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To bring a thriving virtual economy to life requires tackling many deeply technical challenges. The team has been addressing several of these challenges already, ranging from innovations like building technology to allow UGC item scarcity (i.e. limited items &amp; collectibles), to enabling Immersive Ads in experiences. Now they\u2019re looking to modernize Roblox\u2019s payments system to support greater scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-wrap\">\n<div class=\"embed-container\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xWBb8oCUHmc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"> frameborder=\u201d0\u2033 allow=\u201daccelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\u201d allowfullscreen&gt;<\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking on these technical challenges starts with \u201dbuilding empathy with the creator community,\u201d according to Product Manager Alex Amorati. As users buy and spend Robux, our creators can exchange Robux for fiat currency, as in earnings, or can continue to reinvest in the platform. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2022, about $618M was paid out to over 8,800 developers and creators who exchanged their earned Robux for real-world currency through our Developer Exchange Program.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_43875\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 2570px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-43875 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glossingdress.com\/lib\/img\/all\/252\/fe7632b6db85dc2435302adae3f1f9bfa4d0f23c8f3d722775720d3512abd455\/d8e8c2723ab3bc29f36b849533c1c0959149541bfc359cb79b38e79edbc11ad6.jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glossingdress.com\/lib\/img\/all\/252\/fe7632b6db85dc2435302adae3f1f9bfa4d0f23c8f3d722775720d3512abd455\/d8e8c2723ab3bc29f36b849533c1c0959149541bfc359cb79b38e79edbc11ad6.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2D0A0864-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2D0A0864-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2D0A0864-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2D0A0864-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2D0A0864-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2D0A0864-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43875\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-43875\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Amorati speaks at Roblox Developers Conference \u201922<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s also a need to think about how to ensure the system is always available and reliable as it scales. Millions of transactions move through our systems every day. \u201cWe are constantly testing the limits and boundaries. Whether it\u2019s scaling on the infrastructure side or on the application layer, we are designing a system that can handle the scale,\u201d says Shweta. \u201cWe have to think about fault tolerance, at each level, so that if something goes wrong, we have a contingency plan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reliability is also critical <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when building UGC item scarcity (i.e., when virtual items are made artificially limited). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen you\u2019re trying to handle transactions and people\u2019s actual money, you have to make sure everything goes right. As we work on UGC limited and collectibles, that is one of the key things we have to contend with from a technical perspective,\u201d says Noah.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Highlighting the culture of innovation in the Economy Group<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This team\u2019s work impacts not only Roblox, but also the creator community. \u201cBuilding a system that is going to work for our community is a key motivator for everyone to do their best work,\u201d shares Antoni. \u201cShared responsibility, collaboration, and taking the long view are also aspects of the Economy Group\u2019s culture that pushes the team to think outside of the box and come up with innovative solutions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Impact of work creates shared responsibility<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roblox measures its GDP using the same criteria and definitions used to measure those of entire nations.\u00a0 For reference, Roblox\u2019s economy is currently about the same size as that of a small country. Roblox is powering a real economy, with real money and substantial real-world impact. This has created a shared sense of responsibility that is felt across the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Noah, the potential for his work to impact the lives of this community motivates him to do his best work. \u201cI\u2019m most proud of whenever I\u2019m able to advocate on behalf of our community to make sure that they\u2019re constantly front and center.\u00a0 Everything we do is going to affect them more than anything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a leader within the Economy Group, Shu-min says,\u00a0 \u201cI like to remind people of the value of the work and how much it truly matters.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Knowledge sharing accelerates progress<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the ten years that Antoni has worked at Roblox, he has spent time in several roles across a number of different teams. As a newer leader in the Economy Group, he leaned on the expertise and knowledge of the team to help him quickly ramp up and navigate his new role. \u201cThere were a bunch of industry standard acronyms that were being used around advertising and finances of the company. I knew some of them, but not all. I was really impressed with the expert knowledge that everyone had in the organization. Everyone knew so many details ranging from how the business ran to our gross and net profit margins. It was quite impressive. Sharing that knowledge helped me get up to speed fast.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_43885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 2570px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-43885\" src=\"https:\/\/glossingdress.com\/lib\/img\/all\/252\/fe7632b6db85dc2435302adae3f1f9bfa4d0f23c8f3d722775720d3512abd455\/5c4f57433577f3f60c8e7d739678099847beec5349ea45ca879d4f67274dc9d6.jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/glossingdress.com\/lib\/img\/all\/252\/fe7632b6db85dc2435302adae3f1f9bfa4d0f23c8f3d722775720d3512abd455\/5c4f57433577f3f60c8e7d739678099847beec5349ea45ca879d4f67274dc9d6.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Copy-of-RX_COMMS_229-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Copy-of-RX_COMMS_229-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Copy-of-RX_COMMS_229-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Copy-of-RX_COMMS_229-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Copy-of-RX_COMMS_229-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.roblox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Copy-of-RX_COMMS_229-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43885\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-43885\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Antoni Choudhuri chats with teammates outside of our San Mateo office<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharing expertise from various members of the team has become a key mechanism for how the team works and collaborates. \u201cWhat the Economy Group does really well is learn from each other,\u201d says Shweta. \u201cEven though we\u2019re fairly large, we always prioritize knowledge sharing across the entire group to accelerate ideation and solutions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Shweta began exploring building out virtual subscriptions, one of the challenges that continued to come up was how to build the infrastructure so that it could scale effectively. To find the right guidance, she reached out to the Virtual Purchasing Team, who had recently overcome the same challenge. \u201cI approached them, shared what we were looking for and asked them to share their experiences managing scale, what technologies they used. That information put my team on the right path. I\u2019m grateful that we have a very collaborative environment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Taking the long view<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From immersive advertising to innovations in limited-quantity virtual items to the modernization of a payment solution employed by a vast community of professionals and creators, many of the technologies that the Economy Group builds are on the cutting edge of the industry. That\u2019s why taking the long view is critical. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn typical Roblox style, we always operate with a long-term goal in mind, but start with the smallest of steps that move you in the right direction,\u201d shares Shu-min.\u00a0 One recent example from her team: \u201cLast year, we took our legacy payment system and moved to one that allowed for a more seamless user experience. As we continue to roll out new features and ways for developers to monetize, we\u2019ll be able to build on top of this system and enable even more types of commerce.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat we care about is that we\u2019re solving the right problems for our community, our users, our creators, and ourselves,\u201d says Antoni. \u201cThere might be a short-term win, but a long-term headwind. I think the Economy Group strikes the right balance between long-term strategic thinking and innovation with tactical testing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Join the team building the virtual economy on Roblox<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Economy Group serves as an engine helping to power Roblox\u2019s creation loop: creators make engaging experiences, earn and reinvest in their experiences, go onto create even more engaging experiences, and thereby ensure greater engagement and earnings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEvery time we work on a new feature, we have an idea of how it will be used,\u201d says Noah. \u201cWe get excited thinking about how our community will build their own business on our platform using what we\u2019re building. And then, without fail, they end up doing way more than whatever we had thought of. The community is what continues to keep me here for sure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe growth potential for Roblox and the creator community through this flywheel is super exciting,\u201d says Shu-min. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen I first heard about what was going on in Economy I knew I wanted to be a part of it and thought to myself, \u2018sign me up!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Want to learn more about what the Economy Group is working on? Tune in to the latest Roblox Tech Talks Podcast to listen to a conversation between VP of Product for Economy Enrico D\u2019Angelo and CEO Dave Baszucki on their vision for the Roblox economy.<\/p>\n<p>__________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<div id=\"container\" class=\"page-contents fader faded\" role=\"main\">\n<section id=\"content\" role=\"main\">\n<div class=\"has-limit news-detail fader-content blog faded\">\n<div class=\"page-details\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"wysiwyg\">\n<p><i>Team Behind the Tech is a behind-the-scenes look at how our teams tackle their toughest technical challenges and what it reveals about the culture, people, and values behind our innovative technologies. If these sound like the challenges and opportunities you want to take on, check out our available roles for the Economy Group and learn more at careers.roblox.com.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just as they do in the physical world, goods, services, and entertainment power a thriving economy on Roblox. Our Economy Group develops the infrastructure that makes this possible; their vision is to create a vibrant, virtual economy that mirrors the real world.\u00a0 \u201cAs a company, our goal is to have over a billion people on [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=683"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1042,"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683\/revisions\/1042"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalgoodplay.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}