Making a Faster API

Nylas places a strong emphasis on ensuring high-speed performance for its API, which is central to its product and business operations. Achieving this involves setting clear, measurable goals, such as a P90 total request time of less than 500 milliseconds, and employing a range of tools and techniques for diagnosis, profiling, and monitoring. Tools like Honeycomb facilitate efficient data visualization and pattern recognition, aiding in the identification and resolution of performance issues. Profiling tools, including cProfile and the custom-built nylas-perftools, help pinpoint sources of slowness, with visualizations such as flame charts offering insights into performance bottlenecks. The process is iterative, involving regular monitoring and alerting through systems like Honeycomb and Graphite to ensure ongoing performance optimization. The approach highlights the importance of visualization, effective tool use, and focused effort in maintaining and improving API speed and reliability.