Over the past seven years, Teodor Shaterov has witnessed the FT’s Sofia office grow from its early beginnings into a thriving hub of engineering excellence. During this time, he has worked on some of the organisation’s most critical systems, collaborated with talented colleagues, and solved complex challenges at scale. Today, Teodor shares insights into his career journey, the work of his team, and what excites him about the future of engineering at the FT.
What has your career journey at the FT looked like, and what’s your role today?
I joined the FT almost seven years ago as a Senior 2 Software Engineer, just as the Sofia office was being set up. I was one of the first new joiners in the Membership team, working on everything from user authorisation and authentication to subscriptions, payment methods, and more.
Today, I’m a Principal Engineer for the Access & Identity platform which evolved from the Membership team and for the Federated DevOps team, responsible for the infrastructure across all FT Core platform teams. My days are a mix of technical problem-solving, system design, and collaborating with colleagues to keep our most critical systems running smoothly.
What initially attracted you to join the Financial Times, and what has kept you here for seven years?
When the FT opened its Sofia office, there were a series of events led by colleagues from London showcasing the cutting-edge technologies in use here and that immediately caught my attention. Just as important for me was the FT’s mission to deliver high-quality journalism in an increasingly complex and fast-moving world. That combination of technical innovation and meaningful purpose made it an easy decision to join.
Over the past seven years, I’ve learned a huge amount and tackled challenging engineering problems, the kind that still keep me engaged and motivated today.
Looking back to those early days, what advice would you give yourself starting out?
The FT is best known as a world-class media company, but it also has an outstanding product and technology team. From day one, make the most of being surrounded by talented, collaborative professionals who are generous with their knowledge. This rare combination of editorial excellence and technical innovation creates an environment where you can learn, grow, and make a real impact.
Your current role spans critical systems. Can you tell us more about the Access & Identity team and why it matters?
Access & Identity is one of the FT’s core platform teams, responsible for authorisation and authentication for all FT customers, maintaining their profiles, and deciding access to content. We also power much of the B2B side of the business, which represents a significant share of our readership. Many of our systems are platinum-tier with the most rigorous reliability standards in the company, making us central to the user experience for every reader. We also handle the highest inbound traffic in the FT, which brings unique and complex engineering challenges.
What are some of the biggest challenges your team is solving?
Our team runs the busiest part of the FT’s digital platform, handling more traffic than any other area of the company. We’re responsible for over 20 platinum-tier systems, the most critical services in our tech stack which must be operationally robust, highly available, and able to scale instantly during traffic surges. That means solving challenges around performance, resilience, and scalability every single day, whether it’s handling a breaking news spike or optimising for consistent low-latency delivery. It’s high-stakes, high-scale engineering that sits at the heart of the FT’s digital experience.
Tackling those problems also depends a lot on culture. How would you describe the engineering culture at FT Sofia?
The engineering culture at FT Sofia combines a collaborative, non-blaming mindset with a strong commitment to technical excellence. We work together to solve challenges, share knowledge, and learn from every experience, fostering an environment where people feel safe to speak up and experiment.
Our culture reflects the FT’s core values while also valuing curiosity, best practices, and clean, maintainable code. It’s a place where respect, support, and craftsmanship go hand in hand. For me personally, as someone managing and leading others, helping people grow, mentoring, coaching, and guiding them through their career paths is both a rewarding and essential part of that culture.
FT’s core values include Ambition, Inclusion, Integrity, Curiosity, Trust, and Subscriber Focus. Which of these stands out in your role, and how does it shape your work?
Every FT value is woven into my role. Ambition drives us to lead in both journalism and technology, pushing boundaries in how we inform and serve our readers. Inclusion ensures we harness the strength of diverse perspectives, creating richer and more innovative solutions. Guided by curiosity, integrity, and trust, we work hand in hand with our subscribers to craft experiences that truly meet their needs.
And looking ahead, what excites you about the future of engineering at the FT?
From an engineering standpoint, the FT’s future is both challenging and inspiring. AI integration is top of mind not just as a tool, but as a way to rethink processes, improve scalability, and deliver smarter products. At the same time, we’re building new platforms to attract younger audiences, all while maintaining our long-standing reputation for technical excellence. Staying aligned with modern technology trends will ensure our systems and products remain innovative, resilient, and impactful.
Looking back, it’s been a rewarding journey — not only because of the challenging problems we solve, but because of the people I’ve had the privilege to work with. The FT’s blend of world-class journalism, ambitious technology, and collaborative culture makes it a truly unique place to grow as an engineer. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and proud to be part of the team shaping that future.
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