Request // Response Episode 1: Separating Deployment from Release

In the first episode of Request // Response, John Kodumal, co-founder and former CTO of LaunchDarkly, discusses the transformative impact of separating deployment from release through the use of feature flags, which allows for safer rollouts, controlled beta releases, and experimentation. Kodumal highlights LaunchDarkly's pioneering use of server-sent events (SSE) for real-time feature flagging and stresses the importance of traversability in API design, arguing that APIs should function like traversable maps rather than static endpoints. He also discusses the evolution of API expectations, emphasizing standardized, high-quality APIs with features like pagination and rate limiting, along with the growing significance of OpenAPI specifications. The conversation touches on what defines a great developer experience, which involves anticipating user needs and minimizing integration barriers, thus reflecting LaunchDarkly's influence on modern software development practices.