In a digital age where innovation is the currency of progress, engineers like Sharan Munyal are redefining what it means to lead through technology. With over a decade of experience spanning some of the world’s biggest tech giants including Meta, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Yahoo. Sharan stands as a transformative force in software engineering and product development.
Currently a Senior Software Engineer at Meta, Sharan has been instrumental in steering Facebook’s Marketplace into new territory. But his journey didn’t begin there—it began in classrooms, research labs, and with a deep curiosity for how technology can scale to meet real-world demands.
An Academic Foundation Built for Impact
Sharan’s story begins with a solid educational grounding. He holds a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he immersed himself in advanced computing concepts like distributed systems, web information management, and peer-to-peer architecture. During his time at UCLA, he wasn’t just studying, he was building. From developing a fund tracking tool for neuroscience departments to crafting sentiment-based stock prediction models using Twitter data, Sharan merged theory with applied innovation.
Before that, he graduated with distinction from the University of Mumbai, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering. His early focus on e-commerce and data mining laid the groundwork for his future in cloud computing and product scaling.
Climbing the Ranks: From Yahoo to Amazon to Meta
Sharan’s professional ascent began at Yahoo (2013–2014), where he helped redesign and optimize mobile experiences across the company’s global sites. But it was at Amazon Web Services (2014–2020) where his talent truly flourished.
At AWS, Sharan worked on DynamoDB and S3, two of the most critical components of Amazon’s cloud ecosystem. He engineered solutions for petabyte-scale data backup, designed a key history client for audit trails, and led a team that rewrote the S3 Console application, used globally by millions of AWS customers. His innovations didn’t go unnoticed; he was awarded a U.S. patent (US11860673) for a database encryption method now standard in cloud security.
Since 2020, Sharan has been at Meta, where he leads engineering initiatives for Facebook Marketplace. Whether it’s launching Flash Sales that surpassed growth targets by more than 80% or scaling video listings by multiple tenfolds, Sharan’s influence can be felt across the platform’s user and business ecosystems. He’s also been pivotal in onboarding small businesses, boosting transactions by 40%, and building localized features to enhance community engagement through Facebook Local.
Leadership Through Innovation
More than a coder, Sharan is a builder of teams and a leader of vision. At Meta, he heads teams of engineers with a blend of mentorship, technical foresight, and cross-functional collaboration. He is known for resolving systemic blockers, optimizing performance, and aligning technical decisions with business goals.
At AWS, his leadership extended beyond code by also mentoring junior developers, setting engineering best practices, and influencing the hiring strategy for major teams like S3 Console.
Achievements That Echo Beyond the Code
At Meta:
- Scaled Facebook video listings by multiple tenfolds
- Led Flash Sales growth, surpassing GMV targets by atleast 80%
- Improved seller onboarding, increasing Marketplace transactions by 40%
At AWS:
- Redesigned and globally deployed the AWS S3 Console application
- Ensured data integrity across global DynamoDB replicas
- Awarded U.S. Patent (US11860673) for client-controlled database encryption
The Academic-Industry Bridge
Sharan has long bridged the gap between research and application. His paper, “ECHO – Electronic Communication for Healthcare Optimization,” presented during the Microsoft Imagine Cup, proposed using mobile technology for smarter healthcare communication, a concept far ahead of its time. His UCLA research projects weren’t just academic exercises; they were precursors to the user-focused innovation he leads today.
Looking Ahead: A Vision for Scalable, Inclusive Tech
As Sharan Munyal continues to drive product innovation at Meta, his focus remains on scalability, reliability, and user-centric design. With AI-powered commerce and hyper-local digital ecosystems gaining momentum, his vision is clear: build platforms that perform at scale and enrich communities.
In a world increasingly dependent on digital infrastructure, leaders like Sharan are quietly shaping the scaffolding of tomorrow’s internet, one product, one innovation, one team at a time.
