Microsoft’s Faster CPython Team Aims to Accelerate Python Performance

Microsoft published a blog titled “A Team at Microsoft is Helping Make Python Faster,” introducing its Faster CPython team.

The article notes that Python’s popularity has risen dramatically, topping rankings such as TIOBE and IEEE, yet its versatility often draws criticism for performance, prompting ongoing efforts to improve CPU speed.

In 2020, core developer Mark Shannon drafted a plan to accelerate CPython by roughly five‑fold, divided into four stages each targeting about a 50% speed increase, a task described by Python’s creator Guido van Rossum as too heavy for a single volunteer.

Consequently, Microsoft formed a six‑engineer team that includes Guido, who returned from retirement in November 2020 to join the Developer Division, emphasizing diverse backgrounds and open‑mindedness for better decision‑making.

The team has already helped other core developers, achieving 10‑60% speed improvements in certain areas of Python 3.11.

Team members stress strong expertise, consistent collaboration, and regular weekly meetings, which foster collective effort, continuous communication, and mutual understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

With a shared vision, the team has integrated many performance features into 3.11 and is already researching future enhancements, continuing the multi‑stage plan over the coming years while maintaining transparency.

Aligned with Microsoft’s long‑term commitment to the Python community, the team’s primary goal is to add value, focusing on practical work to improve Python and benefit the broader community.

Reddit users have remarked that Microsoft achieved something Google could not.

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