Developer operational efficiency can be significantly enhanced through strategic API management practices such as leveraging API documentation, automating API lifecycle management, and optimizing resources and performance, using Kong Konnect and Kong Kubernetes Ingress Controller (KIC). By providing self-service API documentation and credential management through Kong Konnect, developers can independently explore APIs, register, and create API keys, which speeds up the onboarding process and reduces manual intervention. Automating the API lifecycle with tools like the Kong Kubernetes Ingress Controller simplifies the versioning, deprecation, and deployment processes by directly integrating changes into the CI/CD pipeline and automatically updating configurations in response to Kubernetes resource changes. Furthermore, KIC's capabilities for setting service weights, implementing rate limiting, and conducting passive health checks enhance resource optimization and system stability, ensuring efficient traffic management, protecting services from overload, and maintaining service health. A live demo video demonstrates these features and use cases, highlighting how these tools can streamline API management and empower development teams.