Velocity Profile: Hooman Beheshti

As part of the buildup to the Velocity Web Performance and Operations Conference in June, O'Reilly Media has created a "Velocity Profiles" series, which highlights the work and knowledge of web ops and performance experts. We're very proud that our VP Technology, Hooman Beheshti, is kickstarting the series.

O'Reilly Online managing editor Mac Slocum talked to Hooman about how he got into web ops and performance, the biggest problems he's encountered, and the tools he relies on most. Here's a snippet from their interview, in which Mac and Hooman talk about one of the greatest challenges in the performance industry: measurement.

MAC: What's the toughest problem you've had to solve?

HOOMAN: In the world of web performance, measurement remains a huge challenge. There are way too many tools, metrics, and vendors out there, all doing measurement differently, and ironically, all legit! So, the challenge isn't always finding the right thing to measure, it's to understand which subset of metrics to consider based on the situation.

Add to that the fact that there's a lot of confusion about this propagated by everyone who thinks their way is the only right way, coupled with the possibility that we may not actually have the right measurement yet, and this becomes an incredibly complex issue. I can't say that we've solved it, but I do keep finding myself learning new things and educating people about these complexities. So, the fact that people are listening and wanting to learn is a positive step toward solving the problem.

Read the full interview: Velocity Profile: Hooman Beheshti

Check out Hooman's upcoming Velocity session: The 90-Minute Mobile Optimization Life Cycle