Jeremy Justus and Ross Sbriscia, senior software engineers at UnitedHealth Group/Optum, discuss the effectiveness of using the open-source Kong Gateway for API management in a large enterprise setting, detailing their transition from a closed-source to an open-source model. They emphasize the importance of cultivating internal experts, participating in the open-source community, and contributing back to it as key strategies for leveraging open-source platforms like Kong. Through active community engagement and collaboration, they were able to resolve complex technical issues quickly and effectively, highlighting how open-source models enable faster problem-solving and innovation compared to traditional closed-source approaches. Their experience illustrates how embracing open source can lead to operational improvements and increased confidence in managing mission-critical applications within a large enterprise.