Our CEO, Barnaby on the latest episode of the Smooth Scaling Podcast
If you’ve managed a big on-sale, you’ll know the pressure: thousands of people refreshing at once, queues filling up, bots circling - and everyone hoping everything runs smoothly.
In the latest episode of Queue-It’s podcast Smooth Scaling: System Design for High Traffic, our CEO Barnaby chats with host José Quaresma about what really goes on behind the curtain during those crucial on-sale moments.
Barnaby gives a behind-the-scenes look at:
- What happens during sudden ticketing surges
- How bots and fraudsters try to game the system
- What ticketing companies can do to keep the process fair and frustration-free
Highlights from José and Barnaby’s discussion include:
Why ticketing is unlike any other kind of e-commerce
Ticketing has fixed inventory, time-sensitive sales windows, and an intense rush of customers trying to buy those limited tickets all at once. It creates huge pressure on systems.
“Most online shops deal with steady demand. In ticketing, you can have 100,000 people all refreshing the page at the exact same second - that’s a completely different challenge.”
The battle with the bots
Scalpers never stop trying to find a way in. Every block, challenge or test you add, someone out there is already looking for a workaround. As Barnaby says: “It’s an arms race - but one worth fighting to keep tickets in the hands of real fans.”
Spotting a surge before it breaks things
There are signals - early refresh patterns, unusual traffic sources - that can tip platforms off before demand peaks. Knowing what to look for can mean the difference between a smooth on-sale and a bad one.
Balancing fairness and speed
Queues, payments, fraud checks - they all have to be tuned just right. Fans will forgive a wait, especially if it’s communicated well. They won’t forgive losing out because the system didn’t work properly.
“Our job is to make sure the system is fast, fair, and secure - so when fans are waiting for tickets, they know the process is working for them, not against them.”
Listen or Watch the Podcast on the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Sk8veUO8QAA
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7nQoAL54VqePwHCQsdZ403?si=36147bea27b34ff5
You can find more episodes of the Smooth Scaling podcast on their website.
Conclusion
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