Pinterest.com serves millions of requests per day internationally across a myriad of network conditions and devices. This is the story of how the web performance team tackled the task of gathering data, applying a strategic roadmap across the organization, prevented performance regression slips as developers were shipping new features, and executed on the best opportunities to improve the Pinterest experience for their users and made performance a priority for the company.

1. Making
Pinterest's First Dedicated Performance Team
Pinterest
Fast

2. Sarah
Michelle
Jess

3. 1
2
3
4
5
First Dedicated
Performance Team
Data Confidence
Regressions
Optimization Strategy
Vision
Agenda

4. What is
Pinterest?

5. 200M
global monthly
active users
1M+
requests per sec

6. Industry numbers
2sExpected page load
time by 50% of online
shoppers
25%Decrease in Google searches after a
500ms page slowdown
28%Permanent abandonment rate for slow
sites
Time Is Money, Tammy Everts

7. %Improvement in
Performance when we
converted
Pinterest User Profiles to
React.

8. %Improvement in
Performance when we
converted
Pinterest User Profiles to
React.
+10-20% engagement

9. %Improvement in
Performance when we
converted Pinterest unauth
pages to React among other
optimizations.

10. %Improvement in
Performance when we
converted Pinterest unauth
pages to React among other
optimizations.
+15% signups
+10% SEO traffic
+5-7% logins

11. #winning

12. #winning?

13. Data confidence
Performance as priority
Tooling and introspection
Reliable metrics
Regression protection
Dedicated performance team
Direct tie to key metrics
Top-down buy-in
Strong performance culture
Performance expertise
Goal accountability

14. Data confidence
Performance as priority
Tooling and introspection
Reliable metrics
Regression protection
Dedicated performance team
Direct tie to key metrics
Top-down buy-in
Strong performance culture
Performance expertise
Goal accountability

15. Client-focused performance team
iOS
Android
Web

16. Client-focused performance team
iOS
Android
Web

17. 1
2
3
4
5
First Dedicated
Performance Team
Data Confidence
Regressions
Optimization Strategy
Vision
Agenda

18. Pinner Wait Time (PWT)
our metric

23. Fighting
Doubt

24. 4 steps to

25. Set Baselines

26. Before
★ Performance instrumentation was
unvalidated
★ Performance graphs were mistrusted

27. After
★ Performance metrics validated
★ Confidence Tests Implemented
★ Graphs reflect real user experience
★ Teams understand their metrics

28. Tie Performance
Metrics to Business
Goals

29. Before
★ Teams unsure what optimizations will
tie into their teams' goals

30. After
★ Performance tied to engagement wins
★ Better trust in performance
★ Teams can budget time for perf based on
impact

31. Run PR Campaign

32. Before
★ Teams unsure of where to go for help
on performance

33. After
★ Teams know about performance team and
come to us for help

34. Fight Regressions

35. Before
★ Cannot convince other teams there is
a "real" regression
★ Teams don't feel confident
optimizations are real or protected

36. After
★ Better trust in performance
★ Regressions Caught

37. 1
2
3
4
5
First Dedicated
Performance Team
Data Confidence
Regressions
Optimization Strategy
Vision
Agenda

38. Detecting a Regression
Perf Watch Continous Integration for performance testing

39. 1
Code change
Merge code to master

40. 2
Build artifact
Create Production Build
Merge code to master

41. 3
Deploy to Perf Server
Lorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem Ipsum
Create Production Build
Run tests
Perf Server 4Perf Server 3Perf Server 2Perf Server 1
Merge code to master

42. 3
Deploy to Perf Server
Lorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem Ipsum
Create Production Build
Run tests
Perf Server 4Perf Server 3Perf Server 2Perf Server 1
Merge code to master
LOCKED LOCKED LOCKED

43. 3
Deploy to Perf Server
Lorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem Ipsum
Create Production Build
Run tests
Perf Server 4Perf Server 3Perf Server 2Perf Server 1
Build docker container on perf server
Merge code to master
LOCKED LOCKED LOCKED LOCK & DEPLOY

44. 3
Deploy to Perf Server
Lorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem Ipsum
Create Production Build
Run tests
Perf Server 4Perf Server 3Perf Server 2Perf Server 1
Deploy build to perf server
Merge code to master
LOCKED LOCKED LOCKED LOCK & DEPLOY

45. 3
Deploy to Perf Server
Lorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem IpsumLorem Ipsum
Create Production Build
Run tests
Perf Server 4Perf Server 3Perf Server 2Perf Server 1
Deploy build to perf server
Merge code to master
LOCKED LOCKED LOCKED DEPLOY & LOCK

46. 4Run tests for each critical page
Homefeed Page Pin Closeup Page Search Page

47. 4Run tests for each critical page
Pin Closeup Page

48. 4Run tests for each critical page
Test Runner 1 Test Runner 2 Test Runner 3
Homefeed Page Pin Closeup Page Search Page
Lorem IpsumPerf Server 4

49. 5Calculate the 90th percentile of Pinner Wait Time

50. 5Calculate the 90th percentile of Pinner Wait Time

51. Detecting a Regression

52. Detecting a Regression

53. Investigating a Regression
Perf Detective Runs a binary search to determine the offending commit

54. Investigating a Regression
Perf Detective (i.e. like a git bisect)

55. Investigating a Regression
Perf Detective

57. 1
2
3
4
5
First Dedicated
Performance Team
Data Confidence
Regressions
Optimization Strategy
Vision
Agenda

58. Analysis & Brainstorming

59. Line of Sight

60. Line of Sight

61. Prototyping

62. Prototyping

63. Experimenting

64. Experimenting

65. Experimenting

66. Experimenting

67. Rejoicing

69. 1
2
3
4
5
First Dedicated
Performance Team
Data Confidence
Regressions
Optimization Strategy
Vision
Agenda

70. Data confidence
Performance as priority
Tooling and introspection
Reliable metrics
Regression protection
Dedicated performance team
Direct tie to key metrics
Top-down buy-in
Strong performance culture
Performance expertise
Goal accountability

71. Data confidence
Performance as priority
Tooling and introspection
Reliable metrics
Regression protection
Dedicated performance team
Direct tie to key metrics
Top-down buy-in
Strong performance culture
Performance expertise
Goal accountability

72. Data confidence
Performance as priority
Tooling and introspection
Reliable metrics
Regression protection
Dedicated performance team
Direct tie to key metrics
Top-down buy-in
Strong performance culture
Performance expertise
Goal accountability

74. Scalability
Performance Vision

75. Ownership
Performance Vision

76. Knowledge
Performance Vision

77. Tools
Performance Vision

78. Strategy
Performance Vision

79. Multiply the gains.
Distribute the work,

80. Thank you!
Sarah: @sarahddubs
Michelle: @micvu