{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Request // Response","title":"Separating deployment from release, API-first development, and the future of developer experience | John Kodumal (co-founder & fmr CTO LaunchDarkly)","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/2a6c2985\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1564,"description":"On the first episode of Request // Response, I speak with John Kodumal, co-founder and former CTO of LaunchDarkly.We discussed how LaunchDarkly used feature flags to separate deployment from release, offering fine-grained control for safer rollouts and experimentation.LaunchDarkly was an early adopter of server-sent events, and was a pioneer of the technology even before LLMs.Tune in to hear our thoughts on the changing demands and expectations for APIs and developer experience in light of agentic era of APIs.Listen onApple Podcasts | SpotifyWhere to find John KodumalLaunchDarkly.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkodumal/Show Notes:[00:00:00] IntroductionSagar welcomes John Kodumal to the podcast.John’s background as co-founder and former CTO of LaunchDarkly.[00:00:28] What is LaunchDarkly?LaunchDarkly's role in separating deployment from release.The impact of fine-grained feature flag controls.Benefits: safer rollouts, experimentation, controlled beta releases.[00:02:18] Pre-LaunchDarkly EraHow companies previously handled feature releases.Homegrown tools and their limitations.Inspiration from early DevOps talks, including Flickr’s feature flagging.[00:05:26] LaunchDarkly’s API and SDK FocusThe importance of embedding into the software development lifecycle.Learning from Atlassian’s approach to API-driven development.Early investment in API design and OpenAPI specifications.[00:10:37] Technical Deep Dive: SSE and Feature FlagsUse of Server-Sent Events (SSE) for real-time feature flagging.Challenges with existing SSE open-source libraries.Ensuring consistency across distributed systems.[00:14:23] The Evolution of API ExpectationsIncreased demand for standardized, high-quality APIs.Importance of pagination, rate limiting, and caching.Growing role of OpenAPI specifications in modern API development.[00:19:26] Traversability and Developer ExperienceAPIs as traversable maps for both humans and machines.Comparison to REST principles and the Fielding Thesis.How...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/ao9rj2fv-oEtdD4jfbpOyEF-yIhiXu7nQmIF21bQJMU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hN2Jj/Y2RkN2EwYmExNTUx/N2I3ZDc3NGVmZGE4/OWM0NC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}