What I Learned Leading 3000+ Developers: My Facebook Developer Circles Story
The challenges, wins, and lessons from building and leading one of Africa's largest Developer Communities - from 0 to 3000+ members.
Carol Kariuki
Business Operations Executive Partner | Meta Alumni
In 2018, while working full-time as a developer at VituMob, I took on a volunteer role that would fundamentally change how I think about scale, systems, and leadership: Lead of Facebook Developer Circles Nairobi.
What started as a small group of developers meeting to learn and share grew into one of Africa's largest tech communities - 3000+ members strong. But the real story isn't the number. It's what I learned about building systems that scale when you have zero budget, limited time, and ambitious goals.
The Challenge: Building Community at Scale
Developer Circles was Facebook's global initiative to empower local developer communities. As Lead, my job was to:
- →Organize regular meetups, workshops, and training sessions
- →Foster meaningful connections among developers
- →Champion diversity and inclusion, especially women in tech
- →Create opportunities for skill development and mentorship
- →Coordinate with global Facebook teams and local partners
The catch? This was volunteer work, done alongside my full-time job. I couldn't personally respond to 3000+ people. I needed systems.
Community by the Numbers:
Scale
- → 3000+ total members
- → 50+ events organized
- → 30+ workshops delivered
- → 1,000+ active participants
Impact
- → Women in tech representation increased
- → Skills development across React, Node, AR
- → Partnerships with local tech companies
- → Career opportunities created for members
Lesson 1: You Can't Scale Manually
At 50 members, I could personally know everyone. At 500, that became impossible. At 3000+? Forget it.
This forced me to think systematically. Instead of answering the same questions individually, I created:
- → Onboarding documentation for new members
- → FAQ resources covering common questions
- → Team structures with clear roles and responsibilities
- → Event templates that could be replicated
- → Communication channels organized by topic
"The best community leaders aren't the ones who do everything themselves - they're the ones who build systems so everyone can contribute."
Lesson 2: Diversity Isn't Just a Buzzword
One of my core priorities was championing women in tech. Not because it was required, but because I saw firsthand how much talent was being overlooked.
Here's what actually worked:
Active Recruitment
We didn't wait for women to find us. We partnered with women-focused tech groups, universities, and bootcamps to actively invite them.
Safe Spaces First
Before bringing women into larger events, we created smaller, women-focused sessions where they could build confidence and connections.
Visible Representation
We featured women speakers, highlighted women's projects, and made sure leadership roles included women. Representation matters.
Mentorship Programs
We connected experienced women developers with those starting out, creating pathways for growth and support.
The result? Our community became known as one of the most inclusive Developer Circles in Africa, and women members consistently told us they felt valued and supported.
Lesson 3: Measurement Drives Improvement
How do you know if a community is successful? You measure it.
I tracked:
- → Event attendance: Which topics drew the biggest crowds?
- → Engagement rates: Who was actively participating vs. lurking?
- → Member retention: Were people staying engaged over time?
- → Diversity metrics: Were we achieving our inclusion goals?
- → Skill development: Were members actually learning and growing?
- → Career outcomes: Did community membership lead to opportunities?
This data informed everything - which events to repeat, which topics to focus on, which partnerships to prioritize. No guessing, just measurement.
Lesson 4: Coordination is the Hidden Skill
Running Developer Circles wasn't just about organizing events. It was about coordinating across multiple stakeholders:
- →Facebook's global team: Reporting metrics, following guidelines, accessing resources
- →Local partners: Venues, sponsors, co-organizers, speakers
- →Community volunteers: Delegating tasks, managing expectations
- →Members: Communication, feedback, conflict resolution
This is where I learned that coordination is a skill - and one that's incredibly valuable. At Meta, this skill became essential. As an Executive Partner today, it's my core competency.
Key Coordination Principles:
- → Clear ownership - everyone knows their role
- → Documented processes - no tribal knowledge
- → Regular check-ins - catch issues early
- → Transparent communication - no surprises
- → Feedback loops - continuous improvement
Lesson 5: Community Work IS Real Experience
Here's what people miss: community leadership is operations work.
Managing 3000+ members taught me:
- →Systematic thinking: How to build processes that scale
- →Data-driven decisions: Measure, analyze, improve
- →Stakeholder management: Balance competing priorities
- →Project management: Deliver events on time and on budget
- →Team coordination: Get volunteers aligned and productive
When I interviewed at Meta, this experience mattered. When I work with executives today, these skills are essential. Don't discount community work - it's where some of the hardest operational challenges exist.
The Meta Connection
The Meta Connection: How Community Work Opened Doors
In December 2019, I saw a role at Facebook for Developer Operations. Reading the job description felt surreal - it was exactly what I'd been doing: supporting developers, managing technical escalations, coordinating across teams, and building systems at scale.
My background as a developer at VituMob plus leading Developer Circles Nairobi with direct interaction with Facebook's technologies? Perfect alignment. I reached out to my Facebook Global Community Manager for a referral, and they were more than happy to vouch for me - they'd seen the work firsthand.
The Lesson: Excellence in volunteer work isn't just service - it's career investment. When the right opportunity appears and you've already proven yourself, referrals become pathways.
By 2020, I joined Meta's Dublin team. Suddenly, I went from managing 3000+ developers to supporting developers building on platforms used by billions. Same skills, exponentially bigger scale.
"Community leadership taught me to think systematically. Meta taught me to execute at scale. Together, they made me the operator I am today."
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
I need to be clear about something important: I didn't build Developer Circles Nairobi from scratch. I took over leadership from the incredible Anthony Nandaa, who has an extraordinary heart for developer communities and laid the foundation that made everything possible.
Anthony's passion for empowering developers and his vision for what a thriving tech community could look like in Nairobi inspired everything that followed. I was honored to build on what he started.
I also had the privilege of co-leading with Elsis Sitati and an amazing team of support members who were the backbone of every event, workshop, and initiative we launched. Community leadership isn't a solo act - it's a team sport, and I had an exceptional team.
Behind the scenes, we had incredible support from Facebook HQ. Our Global Community Lead Manager, Jennifer Fong, provided the resources, guidance, and strategic vision that empowered Developer Circles worldwide. Jennifer's leadership made it possible for local leads like us to focus on building thriving communities while having access to Facebook's technologies, training materials, and global network. Her investment in community builders didn't just support our programs - it opened doors we didn't even know existed.
Leadership Lesson: The best community programs succeed because of layered support - local passion (Anthony, Elsis, our team), on-the-ground execution (our chapter), and strategic enablement from HQ (Jennifer and the Facebook team). This model of distributed leadership is what made Developer Circles work globally.
The Opportunity That Changed Everything: Menlo Park & F8
Leading Developer Circles didn't just teach me operations - it opened doors I never imagined. In 2018 and 2019, Facebook invited me to Menlo Park, California - Meta's headquarters - for the annual F8 Developer Conference.
This wasn't just a conference trip. It was a transformative experience that showed me what was possible.
Menlo Park & F8 Conference: A Journey to Remember
Interview with Marne Levine, Chief Business Officer
📍 Menlo Park, California
Highlights from Menlo Park:
- →Met with Facebook's Developer Relations team to discuss global community strategies and share insights from our Nairobi chapter
- →Interviewed with Marne Levine, then Facebook's Chief Business Officer - a conversation that shaped how I think about business operations at scale
- →Met Sheryl Sandberg in person - Facebook's COO and one of the most influential leaders in tech. Getting to shake her hand and hear her speak about leadership was surreal.
- →Connected with Developer Circle leads from around the world- learning from communities in Brazil, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, and beyond
- →Attended F8 from the front row, watching Mark Zuckerberg deliver keynotes about the future of social technology - not knowing that two years later, he would become my employer at Meta
Sitting in that front row at F8, watching Mark Zuckerberg talk about connecting the world, I couldn't have imagined that in 2020, I'd be working directly for Meta, supporting the very platforms he was unveiling.
But that's the power of community work done excellently - it doesn't just teach you skills, it opens doors you didn't know existed.
"Excellence in volunteer work isn't just good karma - it's career investment. Do it well, and opportunities you can't imagine will find you."
What I'd Tell Someone Starting a Community Today
1. Start Small, Think Systems
Don't try to scale on day one. Build the systems when you're small, so they're ready when you grow.
2. Measure Everything
If you're not tracking it, you can't improve it. Start with basic metrics and build from there.
3. Build a Team
You can't do it alone. Identify your core team early and delegate real responsibility.
4. Inclusion Takes Effort
Diversity doesn't happen by accident. Be intentional, measure it, and hold yourself accountable.
5. Document Your Learnings
What works? What doesn't? Write it down. Future you (and your team) will thank you.
Final Thoughts
Leading Facebook Developer Circles Nairobi from 0 to 3000+ members wasn't just about building a community. It was about learning to operate at scale, build systems that work without you, coordinate across diverse stakeholders, and measure what matters.
These aren't "soft skills." They're the hardest skills to master - and the ones that unlock every opportunity that followed.
To everyone building communities, leading volunteer teams, or managing side projects while working full-time: What you're doing matters. The skills you're building are real, valuable, and transferable. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
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