AOL

Senior Software Engineer · 2008–2009 · San Francisco

Senior Software Engineer optimizing ad-product monetization at large scale, building the AIM in-browser JavaScript chat client, and leading Bebo's Social Inbox homepage redesign after AOL's acquisition.

This was 2008-2009, immediately after AOL acquired Bebo. The engineering work sat between ad products, social-network monetization, and browser-based messaging: improving revenue workflows at large traffic scale while also bringing AIM interaction patterns into the web and leading Bebo's Social Inbox homepage redesign. I shipped three production systems from that work, connecting AOL's newly acquired Bebo business to its existing ad and messaging stack.

• JavaScript

• Browser messaging

  Built JavaScript-heavy AIM surfaces for chat, presence, and browser-based messaging.

• Monetization

  Worked on placement, yield, experimentation, and reporting workflows for publisher revenue teams.

• Social ads context

  Carried social-network advertising experience into AOL's broader media and messaging portfolio.

1. 

   AIM in-browser chat client

   Messaging platform

   Built the in-browser JavaScript AIM client as AOL moved a dominant desktop messaging product onto the web. Bridged real-time chat, authentication, and browser UI constraints to preserve a consumer experience familiar from the installed software era.

   SourcesAIM Finally Gets a Web-Based Client (Seriously)AOL Instant MessengerAOL
2. Publisher monetization optimization

   Revenue systems

   Built ad-product monetization systems across AOL's high-traffic publisher properties: placement optimization, yield/CPM tuning, experimentation infrastructure, and operational tooling. Made monetization changes measurable and executable at scale across multiple publisher surfaces.

   SourcesAOL
3. Bebo acquisition integration context

   Social advertising

   Carried social advertising and sponsorship experience from Bebo into AOL's broader ad-product organization as the company integrated Bebo into its media business. Connected early social-network ad mechanics with a much larger publisher and messaging platform.

   SourcesAOL Buys Bebo For $850 MillionBebo Launches New Homepage, Its Take on LifestreamingAOL Relaunches Promising but Ill-Fated Bebo Social NetworkAOL
4. 

   Social Inbox homepage redesign

   Product redesign

   Led Bebo's homepage redesign to introduce Social Inbox: a lifestreaming experience aggregating email, friend activity, AIM chat, and media favorites into the signed-in home. Connected Bebo's social graph with broader AOL communication infrastructure and media features.

   SourcesBebo Launches New Homepage, Its Take on LifestreamingAOL Relaunches Promising but Ill-Fated Bebo Social NetworkAOL Buys Bebo For $850 Million

About AOL

AOL was a major internet media, advertising, and messaging company, with AIM still carrying deep cultural recognition while publisher monetization became an increasingly important product surface.

Related context

• AIM finally gets a web-based client

  TechCrunch • November 2009: public coverage of the browser-based AIM client

• Bebo launches new homepage, its take on lifestreaming

  VentureBeat • December 2008: Social Inbox redesign and lifestreaming context, during Jose's AOL tenure

• AOL relaunches promising but ill-fated Bebo social network

  Ars Technica • December 2008: relaunch, Social Inbox, and social dashboard context

• AOL buys Bebo for $850 million

  TechCrunch • March 2008: acquisition context for AOL/Bebo transition

• AOL public history

  Reference context for AOL's media, advertising, and messaging era

• AOL Crunchbase profile

  Public company context for AOL.