Thoughts on Layer’s API Shutdown

Layer, a platform known for its chat API services, announced it will shut down on October 30th, 2019, leaving its customers in search of alternatives like Stream. The decision to sunset the platform was attributed to a lack of resources to address critical bugs, maintain SDK updates, and manage infrastructure costs, compounded by the sudden death of a key team member. Despite maintaining security, the company acknowledged operating at a loss and expressed concerns about potential outages without a sustainable team. Customers were offered a seamless transition to other services, with Stream providing an automated data migration solution. The situation drew parallels to past tech shutdowns like Parse and highlighted the risks of pursuing aggressive growth strategies without sustainable operational planning. Stream's leadership committed to avoiding similar pitfalls by focusing on sustainable growth and maintaining service reliability.