San Francisco, CA

Varun Bhartia.
AI Builder and Engineer.

Helping organizations use AI quickly and responsibly.

Technical product leader with 15+ years in AI/ML — deploying large-scale predictive models, generative AI, and safety-critical systems at Meta, Google, and Uber. I ship end-to-end: strategy, models, product, and code.

Selected work

Projects.

Background

Resume.

Experience

  1. 2024
    Present

    Group Product Manager — AI Foundations, Rank & Recommendations

    Instagram / Meta

    • Lead AI models that detect adverse actor actions and improve Trust & Safety across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
    • Launched a platform-wide PG-13 ranking model across Instagram; recognized by IG leadership for a smooth, complex launch.
    • Drove product strategy for AI-driven educational and reinforcing content — increasing valued watch time while reducing offensive exposure.
  2. 2019
    2024

    Senior Product Manager — Advanced Creation / Generative AI

    YouTube / Google

    • Spearheaded a 0→1 launch of creation tools and effects on YouTube (e.g. Minecraft Gaming) — Gaming effects became the largest driver of new creators.
    • Built an experimentation framework and shipped 200+ effects, growing engagement and creations by 40% m/m.
    • Drove YouTube-wide integration of Generative AI (LLMs, Diffusion) into the core creation suite, defining the product and technical roadmap.
    • For Kids & Youth: shipped automated policy-enforcement models and algorithmic guardrails, lifting user retention by 27%.
    • YouTube North Star award, 15+ peer bonuses, Asians@ ERG Exec Lead.
  3. 2017
    2019

    Founder / CEO

    BeeHyve

    • Founded and scaled a technical learning community to 10K+ users on a scalable, high-availability architecture.
    • Led development of recommendation algorithms to surface relevant CS content and recruited an engineering team from Tier-1 companies.
  4. 2015
    2017

    Senior Product Manager — Growth, International Rides & Eats

    Uber

    • Rides: built predictive supply-demand models and fleet tools (Uber Fleet), increasing driver hours 40% in India and LATAM.
    • Eats: led UberEats launches in 20+ markets, integrating real-time routing and dispatch across the three-sided marketplace.
    • Promoted to Senior Product Manager for high performance.
  5. 2008
    2012

    Senior Program Manager — DirectX / Graphics

    Microsoft

    • Launched Direct2D — Windows' first hardware-accelerated graphics API — establishing an accelerated pipeline in DirectX.
    • Microsoft High Potential program; promoted twice on an accelerated career path.