My Journey: From VituMob Developer to Meta Operations to Executive Partner
How I went from writing code in Nairobi to managing 200+ monthly escalations at Meta Dublin, and what I learned along the way about building operational excellence.
Carol Kariuki
Business Operations Executive Partner | Meta Alumni
People often ask me: "How did you end up in operations?" The truth is, I didn't plan it. My journey from software developer to operations specialist wasn't a straight line - it was a series of pivots, each one teaching me something crucial about building systems that scale.
Chapter 1: Learning to Build (Before 2016 → VituMob 2016–2020)
My journey in tech started long before I joined VituMob. I began as a mobile developer, building apps for Symbian OS (Nokia) and early Android platforms after training at eMobilis Technology Academy. Those early years taught me how to architect, test, and ship applications that needed to run smoothly on resource-limited devices - a level of precision that shaped how I build even today. When I joined VituMob in 2016, my work evolved from personal projects to commercial and corporate-grade development. I moved into building full production systems used by real customers - payments, order flows, logistics processes, and customer-facing features that had to work flawlessly.
But VituMob taught me something more valuable than just coding: the importance of understanding the entire user journey. I wasn’t just writing code - I was also handling Product Support, meaning I was directly talking to customers when something broke. That experience forced me to connect engineering with real-world outcomes and sparked my interest in operations, systems thinking, and problem-solving at scale.
Key Stats from VituMob Years:
- → Enhanced Chrome extension adoption by 35%
- → Improved checkout flow speed by 40%
- → Supported 200+ users monthly
- → Maintained 90% first-contact resolution rate
- → Integrated 50+ new stores
This dual role - building AND supporting - gave me something rare: I understood both how systems worked AND how they broke. When users reported issues, I didn't just log tickets. I fixed the code, then improved the process so the issue wouldn't happen again.
"The best developers aren't the ones who write the most code - they're the ones who understand the entire system and can see how their code impacts real users."
The Pivot: From Code to Community
In 2018, while still at VituMob, I took on a volunteer role that would change my career trajectory: Lead of Facebook Developer Circles Nairobi.
Developer Circles was Facebook's global initiative to build local developer communities. I had the chance to lead the Nairobi chapter, and I said yes - not knowing it would grow to 2,933 members or that it would teach me everything about operations at scale.
Managing a community of nearly 3,000 developers taught me:
- →Systematic thinking: You can't manually manage 3,000 people. You need processes.
- →Community coordination: Getting diverse groups aligned toward common goals.
- →Impact measurement: How do you know if a community is successful? You measure.
- →Building inclusive spaces: Championing women in tech, ensuring everyone had opportunities to grow.
This experience caught Meta's attention. In 2020, I got the opportunity that would define my career.
Chapter 2: Operating at Meta Scale (2020-2021)
Moving to Dublin, Ireland to work at Meta (Facebook) was surreal. Suddenly I wasn't managing a community - I was part of the team supporting THE communities: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Oculus, Instant Games, Camera Effects.
My role: App Review & Developer Support Specialist / Technical Project Manager. In practice, this meant:
- →Managing 200+ high-priority escalations monthly
- →Supporting global developers building on Meta's platforms
- →Coordinating across Engineering, Product, Legal, Partnerships, and Policy teams
- →Analyzing massive datasets (2M+ records) to identify patterns and drive improvements
- →Leading automation projects to reduce manual work
What I Achieved at Meta:
Operations Excellence
- → 95% resolution rate at scale
- → 36% efficiency improvement via data analysis
- → 50% reduction in malicious app cases
- → 20% decrease in manual work through automation
Developer Impact
- → 150+ developer issues resolved monthly
- → 40% improvement in developer satisfaction
- → 30% faster cross-functional delivery
- → Global platform support across Meta products
The Meta Mindset Shift
Working at Meta fundamentally changed how I think about operations. Here's what I learned:
1. Systems Over Heroics
When you're managing 200+ escalations monthly, individual heroics don't scale. You need systematic excellence- processes that work whether you're handling 10 tickets or 200.
I built frameworks for:
- → Triaging escalations based on impact and urgency
- → Routing issues to the right teams without manual coordination
- → Identifying patterns in escalations to prevent future issues
- → Automating repetitive tasks so I could focus on complex problems
2. Data Beats Assumptions
At Meta, every decision needed data backing it. I analyzed over 2 million data records to identify inefficiencies, which led to a 36% improvement in how we operated.
This taught me: Never guess when you can measure. If you think something is broken, prove it with data. If you think something will work, test it and measure the results.
3. Cross-Functional Coordination is Everything
The hardest part of Meta wasn't the technical work - it was coordinating across Engineering, Product, Legal, Partnerships, and Policy teams, each with their own priorities and timelines.
I learned that the best operators aren't just executors -they're coordinators who can align diverse teams toward common goals. This skill became my superpower.
Chapter 3: Bringing Meta Excellence to Growing Businesses
After Meta, I faced a choice: Stay in big tech or take what I'd learned and apply it where it could have even more impact - growing businesses that need Meta-level excellence but don't have Meta-level resources.
I chose the latter. Currently, as Business Operations Associate at TEEL Beauty, I'm proving that the systems and thinking that work at Meta scale down beautifully - and startups need them more than anyone.
Results at TEEL Beauty:
- → 30% reduction in operational turnaround times
- → 25% decrease in workflow inefficiencies
- → 20% reduction in errors
- → 15% improvement in executive decision-making speed
- → 40% reduction in data discrepancies
The same principles apply: build systems, measure everything, coordinate effectively, deliver excellence consistently.
What I've Learned About Career Pivots
Looking back, here's what I wish I'd known at the start:
1. Skills Transfer in Unexpected Ways
My coding background makes me better at operations because I understand systems thinking. My community leadership taught me coordination at scale. Everything compounds.
2. Technical + Operational is Rare and Valuable
Most operations people don't understand code. Most developers don't understand operations. Being fluent in both creates opportunities that neither group can access.
3. Meta Credibility Opens Doors
Having "Meta Alumni" on my profile immediately signals: "This person can operate at scale, handle complexity, and deliver results." That credibility matters.
4. Community Work Counts as Real Experience
Leading Developer Circles wasn't "just volunteer work" - it taught me skills I use every day: coordination, measurement, systematic thinking, and building inclusive environments.
What's Next
Now I work as a Business Operations Executive Partner, helping executives and growing businesses optimize their operations, coordinate complex projects, and build systems that scale.
I bring three things that are rare to find together:
- →Technical fluency (I can talk to developers AND executives)
- →Meta-proven operational excellence (systematic thinking, data-driven decisions)
- →Community building experience (I know how to coordinate people at scale)
My journey from VituMob developer to Meta operations to executive partner wasn't planned. But every step taught me something crucial. And that's the point -career paths aren't linear, they're cumulative. Every experience builds on the last, creating combinations of skills that make you uniquely valuable.
"Don't chase a straight path. Chase the experiences that teach you what you need to know. The path reveals itself as you build the skills."
Want to Work Together?
If you need operational excellence that's proven at Meta scale but tailored to your business, let's talk. I bring systematic thinking, technical fluency, and measurable results to every engagement.