Bill Doerrfeld

Agentic AI requires new systems thinking

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:03:31 GMT

My latest for InfoWorld explores emerging best practices for building agentic systems.

What actually goes into building enterprise-grade AI agents?

Excited to share my new feature for InfoWorld exploring emerging best practices for building agentic systems.

I like how Ari Weil puts it: "Building an AI agent is like constructing a nervous system."

That framing holds up. Getting this right requires coordinating a wide range of components: reasoning models, context, tools and discovery, workflows, orchestration, and security.

My piece reviews these building blocks and digs into new practices like context engineering and agent evaluation, with real-world examples from Shopify and Block.

The main takeaway? Agentic systems aren't just a new layer of automation. They require a new form of systems thinking.

What goes into a solid MCP registry?

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:39:40 GMT

My latest for InfoWorld explores what an MCP registry is and what makes an enterprise-grade MCP registry production-ready for AI agents.

How do you govern hundreds of MCP servers in an enterprise? MCP registries are emerging as a way to unify and manage a catalog of approved tools, helping with discovery, governance, and safe usage in agentic systems.

But there is a right way to do it at scale. As Christian Posta says, if you're treating an MCP registry as "just another static catalog," you're doing it wrong.

A quality MCP registry requires rich, semantic tool metadata, developer-friendly controls, clear privilege boundaries, and thoughtful decisions around public versus private registries.

In short, MCP registries are becoming a core control plane for governing how AI agents discover and use tools across enterprise systems.

I got a ton of interest from sources on this one, which says a lot about the development energy around MCP and agentic infrastructure right now.

CISOs shift from perimeter security to API security

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:57:43 GMT

My first-ever contribution to CSO Online looks at the shifting landscape, from perimeter-based security to API security, and how CISOs are responding.

API attacks are on the rise. But traditional security approaches like endpoint detection and response (EDR) can miss this vector entirely.

Excited to share my first-ever contribution to CSO Online today, which looks at the shifting landscape, from endpoint security to API security, and how CISOs are responding. You can read it here .

In a nutshell, malicious traffic may look like normal traffic, but legacy perimeter-based defenses miss business logic gaps and systemic authentication and authorization issues.

To respond, CISOs are using a combination of API governance frameworks, inventory management, API gateways, strong identity and authorization, and other techniques.

I'd love to write more for this publication, but it takes connecting with the right sources. If you're a CISO or work with one and have an interesting perspective to share, feel free to get in touch .

Fixing the AI slop problem in open source

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 14:35:03 GMT

My latest feature for The New Stack looks into solutions being proposed to fix open source Slopmageddon.

Open source maintainers are getting hammered by AI slop contributions. These take 12x more time to review, says one developer.

It's a messy evolving issue right now. The kind of topic I like exploring with deep feature articles. ��

Over the past month I've been talking to a number of folks and looking into stories and research around the topic. Today I'm excited to share my feature for The New Stack .

The verdict? It's gonna take a combination of new platform tools, updated contributor guidelines, vouch and reputation systems, foundation guidance, and community support to fix the problem at scale.

Without trust, open source breaks down. Check it out for an overview of the dilemma and what experts suggest going forward.

Agentic AI is reshaping platform engineering at Squarespace

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:16:03 GMT

"You gotta use the tools," says Squarespace's Jon Thornton in my latest DirectorPlus edition for LeadDev

Platform engineering is being redefined in the AI era: less shared code, slimmer platforms, more focus on developer experience.

"We're starting to move away from the idea that shared code itself is valuable and saves people time," says Jon Thornton, director of engineering at Squarespace.

Had the pleasure of syncing with Jon for the latest DirectorPlus via LeadDev. Very interesting to to see how agentic AI is reshaping platform engineering.

At Squarespace, platform engineers are owning more migration work across teams. With AI velocity, developers can spin up code on demand, but there's also a greater need to deprecate more often too.

Check out the full article here .

I've been a Squarespace user for passion projects over the years, so it was really cool to get to talk with someone on the backend of it!

If you're an engineering leader, definitely consider signing up for DirectorPlus for a monthly check-in with an experienced director, VP, or CTO on a new subject!

5 impressive API monetization models

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:50:03 GMT

Usage-based pricing is in: These 5 APIs epitomize that shift

OpenAI's developer platform has reached roughly $1 billion in annualized revenue. ��

Most people familiar with API businesses have heard the canonical success stories (Stripe and Twilio) along with earlier examples like the Amazon Mandate, eBay’s Buy APIs, Expedia Group’s partner ecosystem, and Salesforce’s platform.

But in 2026, a new breed of usage-based monetization is emerging, increasingly built around on-demand infrastructure and API-level metering.

My latest post for the Zuplo blog highlights a handful of API monetization success stories from the 2020s, including Plaid, AssemblyAI, OpenAI, and Algolia — and revisits SendGrid as a classic example (and notable exit).

Check it out to see what these APIs enable, what units they use to meter usage, and what the business outcomes look like.

Why event-driven APIs matter for AI workflows

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:03:11 GMT

The latest Nordic APIs LiveCast explores the role of asynchronous APIs in agentic AI and data science.

What happens when AI workflows need to rely on event-based triggers? Polling typical RESTful APIs is not going to cut it.

Yesterday, I had a great chat with Hookdeck 's Phil Leggetter and Ryan Day on the role of asynchronous APIs in AI and machine learning.

Compared to traditional request-response APIs, async patterns unlock real-time data flows, better scalability, and more efficient processing for long-running or event-driven tasks.

That's becoming increasingly important to enable more dynamic agentic AI and retrain underlying models.

That said, patterns differ quite a bit on the provider and consumer side — I was surprised to learn how much is still unsettled: authentication models, error handling, and how to communicate mid-process updates are pretty variable upon individual implementations.

Check out the full discussion (now on the Nordic APIs YT channel) to explore where asynchronous API patterns stand today and what the future looks like. It was great to moderate this roundtable discussion!

If you're providing EDA interfaces, or developing AI systems that need to act on live data or trigger workflows, this is an area worth looking into.

Exploring frontier models for physical AI

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 21:02:24 GMT

My latest for The New Stack explores the software side of the next era of robotics.

What are the frontier models underlying physical AI? Today, my feature with The New Stack looks into the software side of the next era of robotics.

The piece explores new physical AI models like LBM, VLA, and open-world models, and considers the role of edge computing and the enterprise constraints of physical AI at scale.

Thanks to the experts who shared insights for this story!

- Akhil D. , senior robotics product marketing manager at NVIDIA
- MattMalchano , vice president, software, Boston Dynamics
- Kevin Peterson , CTO, Bedrock Robotics
- Brian Moore , co-founder and CEO at Voxel51

In short, the real breakthrough in robotics isn't hardware — it’s in the new class of foundation models physical AI requires.

Workato's internal MCP success story

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 17:32:41 GMT

In the latest DirectorPlus , Workato's CTO explains how MCP-enabled integration catalyzed internal AI usage and ROI.

Is burning 2 billion tokens a month worth it? Workato CTO Adam Seligman thinks so. But it all hinges on integrations.

When Workato turned on MCP for Claude, their internal employee usage jumped 700% in 60 days across its 1,300-person workforce. With access to core business systems, folks are building new financial workflows, making quicker fixes, and creating new sales motions.

In this month's DirectorPlus edition , Adam Seligman shares how integrations via MCP were the real linchpin in actually getting results from AI. The bigger takeaway for leaders: AI needs to be actionable and grounded in real business outcomes.

If you're an engineering leader, definitely consider signing up for DirectorPlus for a monthly check-in with an experienced director, VP, or CTO on a new subject!

5 official MCP servers from major clouds

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 20:49:45 GMT

My latest on InfoWorld reviews MCP servers from 5 major cloud providers

The hyperscalers jumped on the MCP train quickly. So what exactly can you do armed with MCP servers for the major clouds? ⛅️

My latest rundown for InfoWorld looks at what’s possible using official MCP servers from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle, and IBM Cloud.

Using natural language commands via agents, there's a lot you'd probably expect, like automating documentation and service information retrieval to give engineers more context.

Some tools go well beyond that, with more powerful write capabilities such as spinning up servers, adjusting configurations, and retrieving production metadata for debugging.

Aside from AWS and Azure, which feel more mature than the others on this list, many offerings are still in experimental phases, so take it with a grain of salt.

6 agentic knowledge base styles in practice

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:10:29 GMT

My latest for The New Stack looks at six agentic knowledge base implementations in the real-world.

How are organizations actually using agentic knowledge bases in practice? Excited to share my article for The New Stack that looks at six emerging patterns.

Use cases span standardizing coding styles, streamlining integrations, acting as a source of truth for business intelligence, allowing governed access to capabilities via MCP, and more.

All in all, sources shared a lot of inspirational areas where knowledge bases are coalescing institutional knowledge to reduce busy work and backend tasks. Some of the case studies already have impressive benchmark results.

Thank you to the experts who shared how they're witnessing this unfold in practice! The article features, in order of appearance:

- Ajay Prakash , senior staff software engineer, LinkedIn
- AnushaKovi , business intelligence engineer, Amazon
- Tim Bond , chief product officer, Adeptia
- Neeraj Abhyankar , VP of data and AI, R Systems
- Arturo Buzzalino , group vice president and chief innovation officer, Epicor
- Tim Wagner , CEO and co-founder, Vendia

Check it out and let me know what you think. Where are you seeing the most useful area for agentic knowledge bases being deployed today? Feel free to contact me here .

Report: eBPF In Production

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:41:50 GMT

My report for the eBPF Foundation explores compelling eBPF case studies

Excited to share that my report, ' eBPF in Production: An Overview of Compelling Enterprise Outcomes Using eBPF ', was published today . I authored this for the eBPF Foundation , an arm of The Linux Foundation .

In it, I showcase how eBPF, the doorway to the Linux kernel, has moved beyond experimentation. eBPF is now delivering real business results in production , and the data and case studies prove it.

The 20-page report looks at emerging deployment patterns for eBPF across networking, observability, security, and beyond. It gives technical executives and leaders an introduction to the possibilities of the technology.

Building on the compelling case studies the eBPF Foundation has published over the past year, the report includes four original case studies of eBPF in use at Netflix, Cloudflare, ByteDance, and Rakuten.

It also reviews tangible outcomes other organizations are seeing with eBPF, featuring a comprehensive overview of public case study data and statistics.

Thank you to the experts who synced with me to share your journeys with eBPF for this report:

- Chris Arges, senior systems engineer at Cloudflare

- Anjali Kanak, senior engineering manager at Netflix

- Chen Tang, cloud computing developer at ByteDance

- Dr. David Soldani, SVP innovation and advanced research at Rakuten

This one took time to assemble, and I really enjoyed putting it together and hope to work on similar projects in the future!

I’m a fan of Bottomless coffee

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:39:19 GMT

Smart, automated coffee delivery triggered by a connected scale.

Use my referral link to Bottomless , and we’ll both get a free bag of coffee.

I drink coffee every morning. I prepare my whole beans the night before in my grinder, fill the water kettle, and look forward to pressing the plunger of my French press down. I can smell the aromas.

I’m also a big fan of automation. Things that just work seamlessly in the background. That I don’t have to touch. What can I say? I’m a creature of habit. My tech should know that by now.

So, this is my post where I unabashedly share my referral link to Bottomless . It’s coffee on-demand, delivered to your door automatically when your bag gets low, triggered by a connected scale. It works seamlessly, no joke.

I show it off to everyone who walks into my kitchen. Here’s me pouring my Bottomless coffee with my French press like a mid-00s hipster in my old Maine house:

Here’s the scale and where we keep it in our kitchen:

You can monitor your coffee consumption habits with nerdy statistics online. I love the heatmap — it reminds me of GitHub PRs:

You can plan in advance what types of bags and tastes you want, or just set it on autopilot.

My wife and I have subscribed to this service for 6+ years for our daily grind + French press setup, and I’m amazed by how people still don’t know about it.

If you’re a daily coffee drinker and you like grinding fresh whole beans and like experimenting with different coffees from independent roasteries, this is the coolest thing.

This post is not sponsored, I just want to help support a cool startup I admire — this is technology that just does what it does, well — I wish more tech was like Bottomless.

If you’re sold, use this link to get a free bag off your first order from the scale (which is sent free), and I’ll get a free bag, and everyone wins:

https://www.bottomless.com/referral/f66e1ft9

Answers to commonly asked questions:

How can I get coffee bags delivered to me on-demand?

Use Bottomless . It's a coffee subscription service that does just that.

Is Bottomless worth it?

Yes, I think so. I like not having to go to the grocery store to buy whole-bean bags anymore.

Is Bottomless a scam?

Not that I know of. I’ve used it for years and years consistently without issues, and the customer support is great.

How much does it cost?

There’s a subscription fee for the service, and bags are priced separately. The scale comes free and is easy to set up.

What geographies does it support?

I believe just the U.S., but I could be wrong.

Tips and tricks to reduce MCP token bloat

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:43:59 GMT

My latest for The New Stack shares techniques on optimizing MCP usage.

MCP servers can quickly drain context windows without the right guardrails. Thankfully, there are ways around this...

Today, my feature with The New Stack breaks down a number of practical techniques for reducing MCP token bloat as teams begin using multiple MCPs in real, scaled workflows.

Techniques include more intentional tool design, minimizing upfront context, progressive disclosure, better tool discovery, subagents, code mode, semantic caching, stronger prompting practices, and more.

The big takeaway: as MCP gains real enterprise traction, it'll take smart approaches to optimize its use in software development.

Huge thank you to the experts who shared their knowledge with me for this piece! This one features, in order of appearance:

- Gil Feig , CTO and co-founder, Merge
- Christi a n Posta , VP and global field CTO, solo.io
- Alex Salazar , co-founder and CEO, Arcade.dev
- Marcin Klimek , senior technical product manager, SmartBear
- Kevin Swiber , API strategist, Layered System
- Neeraj Abhyankar , VP of data and AI, R Systems
- Ori Yitzhaki , chief product officer, Sonar
- Tom Moor , head of engineering, Linear
- Matt Martin , co-founder and CEO, Clockwise
- Ankit Jain , CEO, Aviator
- Melissa R. , Director of AI, AppOmni

This is a space I expect will continue to evolve, and I hope to continue covering the emerging techniques to get the most of MCP in practice.

The state of AI agents in finance

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:10:38 GMT

My latest on CIO Online looks at how CIOs are deploying agentic AI in finance.

It may seem like AI agents are suddenly doing everything across industries. But in reality, the pace of agentic AI is moving carefully, and very deliberately, in highly regulated environments like finance and banking.

In my latest feature for CIO Online , I dig into how CIOs are actually approaching agentic AI in finance today:

• automating tedious, low-risk work
• augmenting financial workflows and data aggregation
• improving incident response and customer experience

When it comes to higher-value operations, like end-to-end business processes, autonomous payments, or complex financial decisioning, things are more nascent. Because the guardrails matter a lot.

As Joe Wilson from CSG puts it: "When it comes to AI, we're facing death by 1,000 AI module cuts."

Huge thanks to the leaders who shared with me how they're navigating this transition. This one features, in order of appearance:

- Shree T Reddy , EVP and CIO, PenFed Credit Union
- Joseph W. , S VP and CIO, CSG
- Daniel Shmitt , CIO, Salesforce
- Charles Hearn , CTO, Alloy
- Carl Froggett , CIO, Deep Instinct

The article also touches on emerging standards (x402, UCP, ACP) and recent research from Gravitee , Auditoria.AI , Harvard Business Review & Workato , Gartner , and Block .

Should AI agents scrape or integrate external data?

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:00:01 GMT

My latest on InfoWorld explores the upsides and caveats of both approaches.

To scrape or integrate? It's an age-old question resurfacing for AI agent builders.

Excited to share my analysis today for InfoWorld , where I break down when it makes sense to scrape public web sources, and when official API integrations are the better choice for external data.

The takeaway: agents need data. New interactive browser tools and scraping techniques help pull in real-time, supplementary signals. But scraping comes with fragility and legal downsides. As Deepak Singh puts it, "It's building on quicksand."

Scraping is no substitute for the predictable, validated, and governed integrations agents need to execute auditable workflows and real-world actions reliably.

This article features, in order of appearance:

- Or Lenchner , CEO, Bright Data
- Deepak S ingh , CEO and co-founder, AvairAI Inc.
- Neeraj Abhyankar , VP, Data and AI, R Systems
- Gaurav Pathak , VP of AI and metadata, Informatica
- Keith Pijanowski , AI and ML solutions engineer, MinIO
- Krishna Subramanian , co-founder and COO, Komprise

Also shout-outs to reports from PwC (2025 AI Agents Survey), Tray.ai (2024 Enterprise Survey), Salt Security (2025 AI Agents Report), and McKinsey & Company (2025 State of AI Study), plus links to reporting from AI21 Labs , The Register , and WIRED .

Going nano with software updates

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:00:46 GMT

My latest DirectorPlus column interviews Chainguard VP Dustin Kirkland on why software upgrades should be microscopic.

What does it mean to go nano with your software updates — to "carve with a scalpel" instead of swinging a hammer? For my latest DirectorPlus piece , I caught up with Chainguard VP Dustin Kirkland to dig into that idea.

In general, software stacks really varied these days, each relying on a mix of different major and minor versions of open-source languages, frameworks, and OS-level infrastructure. And, these components are releasing new versions at a fast rate.

Doing one one-size-fits-all, major version upgrades all at once is a quick way to break things. "Breakages are inevitable," says Kirkland. "I’d rather stub my toe than break my leg."

Dustin and I had a great conversation about the benefits of microscopic updates, the downsides of large-scale batch upgrades, and how teams can actually put this approach to work. (Including the leadership mindset required to do it well).

If you're an engineering leader, definitely consider signing up for DirectorPlus for a monthly check-in with an experienced director, VP, or CTO on a new subject!

API standards: foundational for agentic AI

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:14:01 GMT

Watch the latest LiveCast on API Standards for AI Agents

I recently moderated a webinar that brought together three luminaries in the API community to discuss the importance of API standards in agentic AI development.

Kin Lane, Lorna Mitchell, and Kevin Swiber joined me to explore why API standards are so crucial for AI agents. We took questions from the audience and dug into a lot of practical wisdom, from designing spec-first APIs to the interplay between the OpenAPI Initiative and MCP, along with other standards developments worth watching.

The key takeaway is that the core web and open standards we have long relied on, including OpenAPI, JSON Schema, AsyncAPI, OAuth, OpenID Connect, and others, are foundational in this new era of AI agent tool calling.

The full hour-long discussion is now available on the Nordic APIs YouTube channel .

Reviewing Port of Context (pctx)

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:00:49 GMT

Can a vendor-LLM-agnostic project slim MCP usage?

The more folks use MCP servers in development, the more they’re realizing it can lead to runaway token usage, unpredictable response sizes, and flooded context windows.

My latest piece for The New Stack looks at an interesting project aiming to address this problem: Port of Context.

It's an open-source LLM-agnostic equivalent to Cloudflare's Code Mode and Anthropic's code execution approach — both of which introduce a new architecture designed to dramatically optimize MCP usage.

I checked in with lead maintainer Patrick Kelly of Sideko to take a closer look at Port of Context (pctx), its benefits, early tradeoffs, and where it’s heading next.

Are all developers equally productive with AI? Not quite.

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:21:09 GMT

My latest on LeadDev covers a report that suggests AI tends to accelerate top performers

As it turns out, the engineers seeing the biggest gains from AI were top performers all along.

A new report from GitClear and GitKraken suggests that AI doesn't create great developers so much as it amplifies the senior engineers who already know how to use it effectively.

Today, I dig into the data and sync with Bill Harding on what the year-over-year metrics show, and why headline productivity gaps can be misleading.

This is my 3rd year in a row covering studies from GitClear and Harding on the state of AI in software engineering, and the results never fail to spark some interesting takeaways!

Edge AI becomes more important for inference

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:03:50 GMT

My latest on InfoWorld looks into edge AI and its role in AI inference.

Edge AI has been bubbling up for some time. But now, there’s renewed talk about using edge AI as the industry shifts from training to inference.

Excited to share my feature for InfoWorld today that dives deep into edge AI.

As an alternative to public clouds, edge AI has an interesting role to play in inference. The drivers include reduced cost, better privacy, lower latency, and more.

Advancements in more powerful devices, smaller models, and distributed AI frameworks are also enabling this reality.

Learn why many — from Morgan Stanley to Red Hat — see edge AI as enabling the future of AI inference, the tech required, and the roadblocks we’ll need to overcome to get there.

Developers are confident on the future of MCP

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:36:10 GMT

Survey sheds light on real-world progress with MCP

Model Context Protocol (MCP) has emerged as a top standard for providing AI with access to external data, tools, and APIs. And the momentum is continuing into 2026.

Zuplo's recently released State of MCP Report found that 72% of MCP adopters expect MCP usage to increase in the next 12 months, and over half are confident in its long-term viability. The survey gathered input from nearly 100 software professionals that are actively using or building MCP servers.

Many are already off to the MCP races. 70% of developers already have two to seven MCP servers configured, folks are using it for context engineering use cases, and MCP builders are routinely creating multiple servers.

Yet, there is still some reticence. Nearly 40% are skeptical about its future. That may be due to the fact that security is a big concern. Over half cite security or access control issues as a top challenge when building MCP servers. This is no surprise, given the MCP risks that have been documented.

One fact that really stood out to me was that 58% of MCP builders are creating MCP wrappers around existing APIs. Interestingly, a lot of this mirrors some developments that we've witnessed with APIs over the years. Not only do MCPs wrap APIs, but teams are gravitating toward tools like gateways and generation software for MCP.

Like private APIs, most of the MCP use cases are internal-facing, which I found interesting too. Sixty-two percent say they're creating MCP for internal users in their company, higher than 56% which are for external customers.

Other protocols, like UTCP and A2A, are gaining some mindshare, but it seems like it may be too late for incumbents to challenge MCP as a standard. Still, there's an argument to be made that MCP isn't really necessary in all cases — such as when simple predictable automation is all you need.

Regardless, MCP is offering a very low-effort means to synchronize AI with APIs and other sources. As such, it'll no doubt be interesting to follow this space to see how MCP and the ecosystem evolves within 2026.

Lessons learned from 6 overhyped tech trends

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 17:01:01 GMT

My latest on InfoWorld explores major tech trends that failed to deliver.

I don't know about you, but no fully immersive, transhumanistic reality ever arrived in my workplace.

My friends and I never ended up storing all our data in a globally distributed immutable ledger, either.

And no — I'm not spending my hard-earned money on non-fungible images of bored apes.

I have a lot of data, but I wouldn't call it "big." It's mostly sinking in various lakes that no one can access.

The hype cycles go on and on... so today I poke fun at six overhyped trends on InfoWorld .

Read the article to commiserate on past failures, and pull out the lessons that actually matter going forward.

More than bubble-bursting hot takes, the piece explores the psychology underlying tech's insatiable lust for the next big thing.

What is agentic metadata?

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 02:44:38 GMT

Agentic metadata: the valuable exhaust from AI agents

Like any production software application, AI agents are producing a spectrum of metadata behind the scenes. Some are calling agentic metadata a “gold mine” to direct continual improvements.

My latest deep dive for The New Stack explores the types of agentic metadata and how to put it to use. The article acts as a 101 primer for agentic metadata, defining the kinds of metadata AI agents actually produce, and which ones matter most. It also explores a handful of examples of how teams are already actively using this data in practice.

The results? It's not just about observability. Agentic metadata can be re-purposed for retraining, gradual improvements, optimizations, testing and debugging, auditing, informing software architecture, and more.

I definitely plan on keeping tabs on this area. For now, check out the post here for more information!

Build the machine that builds the machine

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:55:49 GMT

A shift back to large end-to-end machine learning models

My latest DirectorPlus column with LeadDev interviews Bedrock Robotics' CTO, Kevin Peterson, on what it takes to develop highly adaptable and safe autonomous machines.

Lately, a big shift he's noticed is a move away from many small, purpose-built models toward one end-to-end system that computes its own best representation.

They're putting this to practice in the field — quite literally — developing models that allow excavators to operate autonomously in large-scale construction projects.

Peterson was formerly leading autonomous system development at Waymo and Caterpillar, so he has some really great experience to share, which other AI/ML or robotics experts will appreciate.

Read the post here , and if you're an engineering leader, definitely consider signing up for DirectorPlus for a monthly check-in with an experienced director, VP, or CTO on a new subject!

What makes a great tech conference abstract?

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:37:41 GMT

What goes into a strong tech conference abstract?

My latest post on Nordic APIs explores some tips to help speakers craft solid pitches!

In short, it's relevant to the event theme and audience. It's vendor-neutral. It's compelling with a specific angle. It's well-structured with clear takeaways. And the speaker has a credible background.

These are some of the things we look for on the Nordic APIs speaker selection committee, but the advice could apply to all kinds of community tech events.

This is my sly way of sharing that the call for speakers is now open for the Platform Summit 2026 ! This one is shaping up to be our biggest event yet, and abstracts are already coming in. Excited to look through them soon!

What will 2026 hold for AI and APIs?

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:12:07 GMT

Signs point to AI agents being the next big API consumer in 2026

To round out the year, I penned some predictions on how agents, MCPs, and APIs are likely to converge in the coming year.

Here are the key ten ideas summarized below. (The full article is on Nordic APIs !):

�� 1. AI ROI Is Front and Center
I think the rush to push AI everywhere will make getting a return on investment more front and center.

�� 2. Standards Will Converge for Agent-to-API
We will see more standards and best practices crystallize for agent-to-API communication.

�� 3. AX Takes the Spotlight
More focus on agent experience as a third consumer type, along with new methods for exposing digital services.

�� 4. More Mutable AI Flows
APIs will enable agents to do more than read requests, syncing multiple calls behind the hood.

�� 5. Authorization Issues Will Be Clearer
AI will exacerbate existing access control issues around APIs, just as organizations are already experiencing.

�� 6. Some APIs Will Proliferate While Others Shutter
APIs that power new AI advances, data retrieval, partner integrations, data training, or AI-based SaaS will do well. APIs whose openness threatens the business will continue to shutter, as we have already seen.

�� 7. API Industry Standards Will March On
I am following MCP, OpenAPI, Arazzo, Overlays, and IETF-driven RFCs, and expect these to become more important, standard enablers.

�� 8. New API Business Models for AI
We are seeing new API business models emerge for AI that are more token-based or outcome-based.

�� 9. More API-as-a-Product Mindshare
Enterprises will start treating their API catalogs with better governance, stronger security, and more design awareness as APIs become increasingly important for gaining an edge in the AI era.

�� 10. Community Matters
This was my last, albeit self-serving, prediction. I believe online communities and events (like Nordic APIs and the upcoming Platform Summit 2026 ��) will continue to be an important vessel for aggregating great minds and sharing helpful knowledge!

Tap these 10 MCP servers to supercharge devops

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:31:37 GMT

My latest on InfoWorld reviews ten MCP servers for devops.

How can MCP servers accelerate devops? To find out, today I review ten MCP servers on InfoWorld for MCP-opsing with AI agents.

Using natural language, you could tap these servers and combine them to open or merge pull requests, reference internal style, update a Jira issue based on a bug report, and a lot more.

Had fun digging into the docs to see where some of the leading devops platforms and tools are at with their MCP servers and tools.

This one reviews the capabilities of official MCP servers from GitHub, Notion, Atlassian, Argo CD (developed by Akuity), Grafana Labs, HashiCorp’s Terraform, GitLab, Snyk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Pulumi.

It also mentions Block's journey with internal agents and MCP, and emerging popular MCP servers for developers, like the Filesystem MCP, Linear MCP, Chrome DevTools MCP server, and Playwright MCP server.

Many are still experimental or offer mainly read-only functions, but there's still a lot of potential here.

MCP: What API providers need to know

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:45:21 GMT

My keynote from Platform Summit 2025 is now live.

Excited to share my talk from Nordic APIs' Platform Summit 2025 — MCP: What API Providers Need to Know .

As the opening talk of the event, I wanted to address the elephant in the room head-on: MCP.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) was on everyone's radar throughout 2025, and for good reason. It has quickly emerged as a universal connector for AI, giving agents a consistent way to interface with APIs.

In this 28-minute talk, I cover the rise of agents and why context matters, and then look at what MCP is, what it can be used for, and walk through examples of MCP servers and tools now appearing in the market.

I also share early best practices we observed in 2025 — like why you shouldn't wrap an API one-to-one, why natural language naming matters, and where security risks are already showing up.

This is by no means exhaustive, and the video was recorded in October and things have even progressed since then! But I hope it gives a good overview of what API-first-minded architects should consider with MCP.

You can also check out all the other great sessions from Platform Summit 2025 in this playlist .

Platform Summit 2025 videos are live!

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:56:09 GMT

Watch all the sessions on YouTube .

Head over to the Nordic APIs YouTube channel to watch nearly 60 speaker sessions, keynotes, and panel discussions from this year's Platform Summit!

API enthusiasts and architects alike will enjoy this new wealth of knowledge on the top API industry insights from the year.

The talks span areas like API design and standards, agent-to-API connectivity, MCP, access control and API security, governance, architectural case studies, and plenty more.

Also — if you'd like your own fancy video, the call for speakers is already open for Platform Summit 2026 ! More information and sponsorship opportunities are on the event page .

Why open source is more than a technical strategy

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 20:03:52 GMT

Investing in open source can be a talent magnet

Contributing to the open source ecosystem is much more than altruism — it’s a smart strategy with real business benefits.

For this month’s DirectorPlus with LeadDev , I got to sync with Manik Surtani, Block’s head of open source in the CTO office.

He shared how their open source initiative is helping to build brand reputation, attract talent, boost partnerships, guide internal open source best practices, and benefit long-term system reliability.

Great to pick apart a specific case study that resonates with many ideas on open source that I’ve been sharing lately about the frailties of the open source ecosystem , and how to sustain OSS going forward.

Read the post for more, and if you’re an engineering leader, definitely consider signing up for DirectorPlus for a monthly story featuring an experienced director, VP, or CTO.

How CIOs are getting an ROI from AI

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 02:14:56 GMT

My latest for CIO.com outlines a checklist for driving better returns from AI

MIT reports that 95% of genAI initiatives don't produce a successful return. BCG similarly found that only 4% create substantial value. So — how do you actually get ROI from an AI initiative?

To get to the bottom of this, I spoke with a handful of CIOs for a new feature with CIO Online , out today.

For them, achieving ROI with AI requires a mix of strong leadership stewardship upfront, shifting the talent framework, and embedding proper monitoring and governance throughout the lifecycle.

Sure, these might sound like broad strategic goals, but the experts shared some pretty actionable examples of what this looks like in practice.

A huge thank you to the executives who shared their timely perspectives with me for this one.

FYI, I'm always looking for new CIO sources to connect with for my CIO.com features. Consider signing up to my newsletter, Under The Byline for opportunities.

How do you craft a great AI knowledge base?

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 16:56:37 GMT

How do you build a knowledge base for AI agents?

Excited to share my latest for InfoWorld , which explores what goes into creating a solid AI agent knowledge base — from the types of data it should contain to the retrieval mechanisms and architecture patterns that support reliable agentic behavior.

Shared context becomes especially important once you introduce multiple agents into a workflow. So this piece digs into structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data sources, how vector search, graph traversal, and RAG-style retrieval fit in, and why designing the right knowledge graph or abstraction layer matters.

The biggest hurdle? Keeping the knowledge fresh. "Freshness, or lack thereof, is the silent killer of AI knowledge systems," says AJ Sunder.

This is a fascinating and fast-emerging area of agentic AI, and it’s interesting to see early patterns — especially around design and architecture — begin to take shape.

Check it out and, as always, feel free to l et me know what you think . Also, if you would like to be featured in one of my articles, I'm always looking for new voices to connect with! Consider signing up to my newsletter, Under The Byline for feature opportunities.

As we fall deeper into the agentic AI rabbit hole, what should I explore next?

A peek behind LinkedIn's AI hiring agent

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 19:25:38 GMT

How do you build an AI agent people actually trust?

AI agents are all the rage, with mixed results. But some early success stories are popping up... I recently spoke with LinkedIn VP of Engineering Prashanthi Padmanabhan about the making of their Hiring Assistant, an agent recruiters are using to optimize the applicant selection process.

Placing so much faith in AI is daunting. That's why balancing autonomy with transparency and human-in-the-loop checks is so critical to building trust, as Padmanabhan describes in the piece.

I think this is a good case to model if you are experimenting with AI agent development or leading a team looking into this area!

Check out the full story on LeadDev . And be sure to subscribe to DirectorPlus a similar monthly check-in with directors, VPs, and CTOs doing cool things.

8 reasons your platform engineering is sinking

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:02:32 GMT

Platform engineering is in a slump due to these anti-patterns...

How do you fail at platform engineering? Make it 100% UI-first. Don't market it. Survey no one. Measure success by who's onboarded. And just copy what others are doing.

Over the past year, I've collected a ton of great input on platform engineering — excited to distill some of it for a new feature for InfoWorld this week.

Some say platform engineering is in a slump... maybe that’s because too many are following the "advice" above! And admittedly, the excitement feels a bit deflated amid the recent AI fervor.

Check it out for some anti-patterns (and helpful tips) that can get your internal developer platform building back on course. As the experts say, so much of it boils down to a product mindset.

Agentic AI and MCP dominated Platform Summit 2025

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:59:29 GMT

This year's Platform Summit was a huge success!

Well, we pulled it off yet again. Last week Nordic APIs held its flagship event in Stockholm, Platform Summit . I thought the conference was phenomenal, thank you for another fantastic Summit everyone who participated!

The event was well-attended (our best attendance since the pre-pandemic era). It also felt reinvigorated, with many new motivations and areas to discuss. Of course, AI agents and Model Context Protocol (MCP) stole the show.

Some of my key takeaways:

More AI = more APIs : The heightened focus on making AI agents actionable means more core API use.

MCP growth : MCP has gained incredible mindshare, but we'll have to see more proven use cases and value. What will next year bring for the universal AI connector?

Securing AI : Agentic API consumption requires better authorization, just-in-time access scoping, and governance, all rooted in standards.

Design and business fundamentals : Technical shifts are occurring (like Arazzo specification, TypeSpec, and new AI gateways). We're also seeing new monetization strategies emerge for AI.

I had a blast MC'ing the whole event for the first time. Thank you to Ioana for snagging these great pictures of my keynote, panel discussions, and the unconference.

Platform Summit dates are announced at the same venue for Oct 12-14, 2026 — more info to come soon...

Releasing an MCP server: lessons learned

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 14:42:31 GMT

What’s it like launching an MCP server into the wild?

For my latest DirectorPlus edition , I interviewed Thomas Johnson, co-founder and CTO of Multiplayer, about lessons learned releasing their MCP server.

Some key takeaways: agents perform better with fewer tools, don’t map API endpoints one-to-one, release gradually, and send the AI natural language.

Check out the full thing on LeadDev for some solid advice and knowledge from an early MCP server development success story!

And, definitely consider subscribing to DirectorPlus for a monthly drip of on-the-ground advice from today's leading engineering directors, CTOs, and VPs.

Do you really need a vector-native database?

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:34:19 GMT

Do you really need a vector-native DB, or will traditional DBs with vector support cut it?

With the rise of AI, vector databases have quickly become a mainstay of modern software architecture. Vector native DBs are booming — but do you really need a shiny new database, or can traditional systems with vector support do the trick?

I’m excited to share my latest for InfoWorld , where I explore the world of vector databases and break down the differences, use cases, and tradeoffs.

Interestingly, three in four engineers are using a vector native DB over a DB with a vector add-on. Learn why in my article! ��

The piece includes some helpful takes from a handful of industry experts, as well as fresh findings from a new HostingAdvice.com report on vector DBs.

See you at Platform Summit 2025 in Stockholm

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:35:11 GMT

I'm getting very excited for my yearly trip out to the beautiful city of Stockholm for Nordic APIs ' flagship API conference, the Platform Summit !

I've been helping organize this event since 2015, and can honestly say it brings together some of the best, most diverse minds from the international API community.

The talks this year will be spanning a lot of pressing topics related to agentic AI, security risks, digital sovereignty, platform engineering, as well as the API design knowledge, developer experience insights, and case studies you'd expect of the Platform Summit. I've personally reviewed each talk, so I can vouch for the quality. ��

I'll be leading the show on the main stage, helping to moderate and introduce speakers. I'll also kick things off with the day one morning keynote that will look into what API providers need to know about MCP .

In the AI age, I still find in-person events to be incredibly valuable. The hallway track, the human element, the unpolished details that don't surface online, and more.

This year, the main event will be held October 14–15, 2025, at the Clarion Hotel in Stockholm. The community will also be connecting for a special API Security UnConference the day before, on October 13.

You can bundle the two, or buy them separately. Group discounts are available too. When you register, definitely consider getting 15% off with the code ps25-bill at checkout.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to reconnecting with many colleagues and like minds in the community. Feel free to let me know you're coming, and say hi .

Hope to see you there!

When does MCP make sense?

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:48:52 GMT

When does using MCP make sense? My latest for The New Stack cuts through the hype to answer this loaded question head-on.

The general consensus is that MCP is a "force multiplier" for indeterministic workflows, novel integrations, and giving AI coding agents context on the fly.

But for more predictable automation, typical CLI commands or API integrations are going to be more reliable in the long run. Anything else is probably overengineering.

Also, one key best practice: You shouldn't be mapping APIs one-to-one — MCP tools should model user intents and consider natural language.

My piece goes a bit deeper and looks at some emerging MCP server success stories at GitHub, Atlassian, Red Hat, and beyond.

This is definitely an evolving area, but I hope this piece tries to make sense of when it's best to put MCP to use!

Finding business leverage with multiple agents

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 15:01:43 GMT

The latest DirectorPlus edition looks at how one org is benefiting from multi-agent software dev workflows.

How are software orgs using multiple AI agents for business leverage? For my latest DirectorPlus column with LeadDev, I synced with JB Brown, VP of engineering at Smartsheet, to learn about their multi-agent AI development strategy.

For them, using multiple agents for software development is actually moving the needle in terms of efficiency, performance, and cost savings. Their secret sauce has been allowing tooling flexibility and having leaders use it themselves before they bark directions.

Encouraging internal knowledge-sharing is pretty important too, since senior engineers tend to know how to prompt these AI agents more effectively.

Check out the full article below! And be sure to subscribe to DirectorPlus for a monthly dose of strategies from the ones who manage the engineering managers.

Sign up to the DirectorPlus newsletter for a new story in your inbox each month featuring on-the-ground insights from some of the industry's top engineering leaders. Or, if you would like to be featured in the series, please read this .

Alternative clouds are having a moment

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:20:03 GMT

My latest for InfoWorld explores why alternative clouds are in vogue

Alternative clouds are having a moment. Nearly 75% of orgs are using two or more alt clouds beyond the hyperscalers, according to a HostingAdvice.com report .

Today for InfoWorld, I dive into this trend in my article What alternative clouds are good for, exploring what's driving the shift. Alt clouds are filling gaps left by the big three in areas like AI workloads, developer experience, edge computing, and private clouds — often at a lower cost.

As CloudBolt Software's Kyle Campos shares: "Organizations are rethinking an 'all-in' strategy with the big three cloud providers."

The thinking is hyperscalers won't be replaced anytime soon, but hyperscaler loyalty is dipping and "optionality by design" is in. Check out the story below for the whole enchilada.

Digital sovereignty is now impossible to ignore

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:54:53 GMT

My latest feature for CIO.com dives into how global CIOs are responding to digital sovereignty pressures

The cloud is no longer borderless. Rising regional data laws and sovereign cloud mandates are forcing CIOs to act.

In my latest for CIO Online, I spoke with global CIOs and analysts about how they're responding. Digital sovereignty is now "impossible to ignore."

How CIOs are adapting:

- More data audits

- Repatriating workloads

- Investing in localized or self-architected infrastructure

- Strengthening access control

- Reevaluating partnerships, and more...

It's not flashy work — but it's necessary to stay compliant and resilient.

Others argue this is largely the cloud provider's problem to solve.

We're in a post-globalization, pro-governance era. It's a challenging macro topic to cover as a journalist, but I think the implications for the data economy are only beginning to unfold.

Check out my full article on CIO for some actionable takes on this evolving area.

Multi-agent AI workflows reshape the developer's day-to-day

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:15:42 GMT

My latest for InfoWorld explores the state of multi-agent AI coding workflows

In a multi-agent coding workflow, an engineer leads a "team" of specialist AI agents to perform various SDLC tasks: scaffolding, coding, testing, log analysis, deployment, and more.

It's a cool concept set to reshape the developer's day-to-day. But there are still a lot of gaps, namely around orchestrating agents, updating system prompts, and agent visibility.

My article for InfoWorld offers a rundown of the state of multi-agent coding: the benefits of this in practice and emerging best practices (like having a shared knowledge base and governance strategy for agents).

When critical open source goes end of life...

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 23:05:57 GMT

My latest for The New Stack explores how to respond to OSS EOLs

What do you do when critical open source projects you depend upon go end of life?

Open-source software churn is accelerating. With more frequent version end-of-lives and even total project abandonments, it's harder than ever to keep up.

In my latest for The New Stack, I share strategies to protect your stack and reduce risk when critical OSS projects go EOL.

Check it out for some good future-proofing strategies as well as tips on how to react if you're caught off guard.

Most language migrations are driven by hype

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:26:35 GMT

A new study exposes what really drives tech decisions in 2025...

Most developers admit their migrations are driven more by hype than proven outcomes. Today, I’m excited to cover a new report from HostingAdvice.com that surveyed 500 experienced devs on their recent migrations. Catch the exclusive on LeadDev.

The takeaways? Positive end results are 50/50, and the majority of migrations cause more tech debt. Those odds aren't that great. AI seems to be accelerating the rate of migrations, too.

To gauge outcomes before committing to the next flashy thing, experts recommend looking for warning signs, researching public case studies, following usage metrics, and encouraging AI literacy.

Check out the full piece on LeadDev !

Can Stack Overflow keep pace with AI disruption?

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:01:39 GMT

The latest DirectorPlus edition explores Stack Overflow's team dynamics amid product overhauls.

Stack Overflow has long since been the internet's place to learn how to code. LLMs changed all that. Facing an existential crisis, Stack Overflow has had to pivot — and do so fast.

For the DirectorPlus July 2025 edition, I synced with Ellen Brandenberger at Stack Overflow and learned how Stack Overflow is reinventing itself in the AI age.

She shared with me their strategies for quickly guiding the rollout of entirely new product lines. For her, the cross-functional team model has proven especially useful for quickly building and validating these untested AI products. She shared with me the ins and outs of guiding a division with this approach.

Learn more here, and definitely consider subscribing for a dose of director-level insights every month from leading organizations.

Featured image credit: @grstocks via Unsplash.

System Initiative: a radical overhaul of infrastructure automation

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 16:31:06 GMT

My latest for InfoWorld looks at how System Initiative is addressing a long-standing devops toil

Ok, those of you who read my stuff know I rarely — if ever — write full features on specific products. But System Initiative caught my eye, maybe because I’m drawn to lofty ambitions, paradigm shifts, and new ways of working.

They're aiming to redesign how infrastructure as code (IaC) works, replacing the toil of maintaining config files with a data-based digital twin and visual modeling engine. An engine for DevOps, if you will.

Check out the full feature on InfoWorld for more about the platform, current use cases, and what the future might look like for both the platform and DevOps at large.

Featured photo by @verneho on Unsplash

Without APIs, agentic AI is all talk

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:03:19 GMT

My latest for CIO.com explores why CIOs view APIs as vital for agentic AI success.

Without APIs, AI is mostly just conversational. As in, you prompt it, and it spits back an answer. However, tomorrow's AI agents will integrate with external APIs to perform actual, real-world actions.

As a bridge out of isolated AI systems, APIs are beginning to make agents more actionable in healthcare, insurance, logistics, customer service, and beyond.

Check out the piece for a roundup of the possibilities, as well as what's required to make them real: ironing out interoperability barriers, adopting emerging standards, enforcing security guardrails, and more.

As Rory Blundell from Gravitee puts it: "APIs are the lifeblood of agentic AI. Without API access, agents remain observers rather than doers."

Featured image credit: Han Han on Unsplash

Celebrating a year of DirectorPlus

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 20:06:51 GMT

A special edition of DirectorPlus checks back in with past guests on their AI tooling strategies.

DirectorPlus is now one year old! �� Over the past twelve editions, we've covered a lot of ground. But no matter the topic, AI was the elephant in the room...

So, for this special edition — a year after launching the series — I checked in with past contributors to gather uncensored thoughts on AI.

What have we learned? AI is a game-changer, but it's not magic. It takes intentional strategy to get the most out of AI in a software setting.

This one shares some advice on getting the most out of AI tooling, featuring stories and takes from leaders at GitLab, Yelp, DX, Spotify, and BÆRSkin Tactical Supply Co.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this story and to all the folks who keep reading these editions!

Check out the edition below, and be sure to subscribe to DirectorPlus... we've got a lot more goodies in the works.

Featured image credit: Adi Goldstein via Unsplash.

Making APIs ready for agents

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:59:53 GMT

My latest for The New Stack explores how to position APIs for AI agents

How do you make an API ready for AI agents to use? I posed this question to a handful of API experts and put together a comprehensive guide for The New Stack — published today.

The key takeaway: making RESTful APIs agent-ready takes way more than just wrapping them in MCP (although that's helpful).

It'll require having a well-defined spec, setting new traffic controls, comprehensive error responses with next steps, documenting common workflows, and having monetization in place (when applicable), and more...

There are also some big security and ethical concerns to keep in mind.

This space is rapidly evolving, and the practices will likely change. But I think following this guide will be a really strong foundation for API providers in mid-2025.

Please give it a read and feel free to let me know what you think , especially if we missed any key areas.

Most senior developers are embarrassed by their tech stack

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:00:39 GMT

My latest for LeadDev looks at en eye-opening report from Storyblok.

86% of developers are embarrassed by their tech stack. And, it's causing them to quit.

73% of developers surveyed know at least one peer who quit over this. 58% are considering leaving themselves.

I wrote up a brief blurb about this for LeadDev , including some expert takes.

Going forward, developers expect a clearer modernization roadmap and better leadership.

If you don't have a budget line item for "developer morale," they may just start a' walkin'...

Featured photo by Julia Taubitz via Unsplash

Comparing 6 multicloud management platforms

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 22:17:04 GMT

My latest for InfoWorld explores solutions for unifying cross-cloud operations.

Over 70% of organizations are using two or more clouds... so, where are all the multicloud management platforms?!

Truly cloud-agnostic, fully featured multicloud solutions are rare, but I found and reviewed a handful of impressive options in this new piece for InfoWorld.

The article highlights six modern platforms that unify cross-cloud functions like deployment, configuration, governance, observability, monitoring, cost analysis, and more. I also mention some emerging solutions and best-of-breed tools for more specific multicloud needs.

This focuses more on multicloud application deployment and management, rather than cloud-based business apps.

There's more to be said about the rise of hybrid and niche alternative clouds, which I plan to cover soon. Til then, my head’s in the clouds... ☁️

Featured photo by Billy Huynh on Unsplash

Move over LLMs — it's time for LAMs

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:58:57 GMT

My latest for The New Stack breaks down an emerging AI trend: large action models (LAMs)

Here's a new acronym for you — LAM.

AI researchers are calling the next class of models large action models (LAMs). These models are built to let agents perform increasingly sophisticated tasks — even navigating graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

Think LLMs with bells and whistles. LAMs are poised to make AI more actionable — and outmode RPA.

For The New Stack , I explored what LAMs are, what examples are emerging in the market, and what experts think.

The general consensus? LAMs are a turning point — the brain and eyes that could make AI agents truly actionable. Use cases are still a bit hypothetical, but becoming more real every day.

7 AI prompting strategies for coding to try today

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 13:44:37 GMT

My latest for LeadDev explores specific prompting techniques proven to level up AI-assisted software development.

Prompting strategies are evolving fast — and they're making AI coding way more productive.

I recently spoke with Justin Reock, deputy CTO at DX, to unpack how engineering leaders are already using techniques like meta prompting, prompt chaining, one-shot prompting, and even adversarial chats to sharpen their output.

Some clever adjacent strategies? Try switching media, assigning a role to your LLM, or tweaking the system prompt.

DX's latest report has some great guidance on boosting reliability and avoiding common pitfalls. I pulled together a practical summary for LeadDev — give it a read here .

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash.

Nordic APIs ranked #1 API blog on the web

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 02:24:05 GMT

I'm excited to share that Nordic APIs was recently ranked the #1 top application programming interface (API) blog on the web by FeedSpot !

Nordic APIs is the blog I edit that tracks all aspects of APIs. Don't let the name fool you — the presence extends well beyond the Nordics. The site and event series represent an international community made up of thousands of API enthusiasts, implementors, and solution providers.

Since I took the helm of the presence as a contract editor in 2015, we've been consistently churning out thought pieces on the API economy, covering API standards, best practices, tooling roundups, security tips, and more. The writers are a lean team of freelancers and industry contributors.

Nordic APIs holds a yearly Platform Summit in Stockholm, Sweden. Now in its 9th year, the conference continues to be a beacon for in-person API knowledge sharing, generating hundreds of helpful sessions on YouTube as well.

After ten years doing this, I feel like I still know so little. This is a fascinating space and a welcoming industry that continues to evolve and mature under the radar of each new technology whirlwind.

Over the last decade, we've seen countless trends come and go in tech — internet of things, smart cars, metaverse, blockchain, DevOps, cloud-native, generative AI, just to name a few. But the one thing that has remained consistent is the API. It's at the core of so much of what we take for granted.

Impressively, the RESTful HTTP API format itself has largely gone unchanged in this entire decade — probably due to its link with standard web protocols. Something this universal and entrenched will likely stick around tomorrow, too.

Just wanted to briefly share my gratitude to those who've supported the journey thus far. Huge thank you to the founder Travis Spencer for the guidance, Curity for the continued support, and to all the writers, contributors, speakers, sponsors, and organizers that make the Nordic APIs community an awesome thing to be a part of!

It's been an honor to support this presence thus far, and I look forward to the future with it!

Tips to improve your AI vibe coding

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 01:33:27 GMT

My latest for InfoWorld outlines some top tips to make the most out of AI coding.

"So I finally tried vibe coding, and it didn't go so well..."

Posts like this are everywhere lately — and for good reason. Developers are realizing that being productive with AI coding assistants takes a lot more than just asking nicely. There's real craft to it.

These tools can hallucinate, delete code, hit context limits, degrade session quality, and quietly introduce security flaws.

So, today for InfoWorld , I pulled together expert tips from leaders at Cockroach Labs, DX, Graphite, Honeycomb, Sonar, and beyond. Their key recommendations to improve your AI coding results:

Improve your prompting skills
Find the right human-machine balance
Pick the right LLM for the task
Work in small chunks
Leave a trail of breadcrumbs for your AI
Test relentlessly
Feed it data schemas

In short — AI-assisted development is an entirely new muscle that developers are beginning to hone.

Also check out my previous article , which explores knowing when exactly to use AI coding assistants. Spoiler alert: they work better for some tasks than others.

Photo by Wai Yan Moe on Unsplash

The real challenge of AI coding? Production.

Fri, 30 May 2025 13:48:33 GMT

The May 2025 edition of DirectorPlus explores how DevOps needs to respond to the AI coding revolution.

Using AI to generate code is the easy part. Now it's time to focus on production, says honeycomb.io CTO Charity Majors. "The combination of AI and production – there’s the real potential."

In the latest edition of LeadDev's DirectorPlus series — Is AI code sabotaging its own ROI case? — we dig into what that means. In essence, DevOps, though less en vogue, needs to level up for this new AI paradigm.

That means faster feedback loops, reinforcing code ownership, and not letting fundamental coding practices slip.

Really enjoyed syncing with Charity for this — she's a wealth of knowledge and brings a strong SRE/DevOps perspective to the conversation around AI in software development.

Definitely don’t miss this one!

Featured image credit: Jakob Owens via Unsplash.

New tools help LLM devs improve training data decisions

Thu, 29 May 2025 18:40:42 GMT

My latest for The New Stack explores new research from Ai2 to help make better decisions around training data.

Training data matters. A lot. The data behind an LLM shapes its efficiency, accuracy, and bias. So, how do AI developers actually choose the right corpora?

I was surprised to learn that the status quo is often pretty ad hoc. But the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) is challenging that with DataDecide — a suite of research, benchmarks, and tools that help developers make smarter pre-training data choices.

The big takeaway? You don't need to spend massive compute upfront to get high-accuracy results. Ai2's research shows that small-model experiments can predict large-model performance with 80% accuracy, at just 0.01% of the compute.

Check out my latest for The New Stack , where I dive into the findings and their broader implications for AI development.

Featured image credit: Javier Allegue Barros

Understanding MCP security implications

Wed, 21 May 2025 21:32:53 GMT

My talk at APISEC|CON 2025 covered agentic AI and MCP security risks and mitigations

Today I presented at APIsec University 's APISEC|CON event, sharing my (limited) knowledge about MCP security implications. Since some attendees asked for them, here are my slides:

As I covered on The New Stack recently , researchers have discovered that MCP is not secure by default. It's prone to vulnerabilities such as tool poisoning, rug pulls, tool shadowing, and remote control execution (RCE).

My presentation covered the hype around agentic AI and the excitement around MCP. It then looks at these risks and suggests some mitigations.

It was very helpful for me to put this together, and I'll post the recording of the session once it's out.

I'm looking forward to closely following autonomous AI, MCP, and related standards, and what all this means for protecting access to underlying APIs.

When should you use AI coding assistants?

Tue, 06 May 2025 14:58:10 GMT

My article on InfoWorld gets to the bottom of when AI coding assistants shine, and when they don't.

AI coding assistants: sometimes a total time-saver, other times a weird little chaos machine. So, where's the line?

My latest for InfoWorld explores when to use AI coding assistants and why they work better for some tasks than others.

The short and skinny: they're great for boilerplate code, simple functions, and documentation. Not so much for novel builds or large-scale refactors.

This one features expert advice from API strategist Kevin Swiber, Charity Majors, CTO of honeycomb.io, Spencer Kimball, CEO of Cockroach Labs, and Harry Wang, chief growth officer at Sonar.

It also references research from BlueOptima, Stack Overflow, DX, and Salesforce’s latest State of IT survey.

This space is evolving quickly, and some concerns here may soon vanish. But for now, I think this is a good representation of their utility!

Featured image credit: Silvan Arnet on Unsplash.

How semantic caching reduces LLM API calls

Mon, 05 May 2025 15:52:22 GMT

My latest for The New Stack explores semantic caching, an emerging strategy to optimize agentic AI.

Semantic caching is like typical caching , but for AI. It could eliminate a lot of redundant API calls to LLMs, reducing costs and improving performance.

My latest for The New Stack explores semantic caching — what it is, how it works, and what the benefits are. According to the sources, semantic caching is poised to become more of a standard practice for optimizing how applications behave with AI, reducing latency and lowering the bar as costs increase.

Featured image credit: Donald Wu

Using agentic AI for business workflows

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 20:11:08 GMT

Are companies really deploying agentic AI? And if so, how? Excited to share firsthand examples in today's CIO.com feature .

Leading execs shared how they're realizing gains across core workflows — from sales and customer service to finance and backend operations.

UiPath's 2025 Agentic AI Report found "oversight of business workflows" as the topmost perceived benefit of agentic AI. The sources validate this with an inspiring look at how this could accelerate many toilsome tasks.

Since 'agentic AI' gets tossed around a lot, my hope is that this piece will offer guidance with some practical, real-world examples!

Next up: a CIO.com follow-up on API integration in agentic AI.

Featured image credit: @mrnuclear on Unsplash

Making developer productivity metrics actionable

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 22:41:32 GMT

The latest edition of DirectorPlus looks at how to turn developer metrics into actual improvements.

Developer productivity metrics are useless if they're just sitting in dashboards. So, how can we use them to direct positive, real-world action?

Had a great conversation with Laura Tacho, CTO of DX, about practical tips. In summary:

�� You have to actually budget time to respond to the signals you get!

�� Leaders need to evangelize DevEx, and get executive buy-in.

�� Focus on granular "improvement metrics" — they're more addressable than lagging indicators, like cycle time.

�� Flip on failure modes to trigger changes/alerts when things go south.

All this and more in the the latest edition of DirectorPlus for LeadDev .

If you are a director or engineering leader, be sure to subscribe to DirectorPlus for this monthly column in your inbox.

Featured image credit: Kai Dahms

New study reveals what really drives revenue per engineer

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:19:50 GMT

My latest post on LeadDev explores the factors that contribute to higher revenue per engineer.

New benchmarking from DX reveals how areas like R&D spend, org size, and growth rate move the needle.

The factors correlated with higher RpE include:

Investing more in research and development — especially in vendor tools and services
Having a startup mindset — companies founded after 2010 show higher RpE
Maintaining steady year-over-year revenue growth — not scaling wildly, but not stagnating either

Engineering has long been a black box, so it’s refreshing to see data on what actually contributes to higher performance.

Check out my full analysis on LeadDev !

Featured image credit: @towfiqu999999

LLMs can now cite their sources

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:16:41 GMT

My latest post on The New Stack reveals how researchers pinpoint the exact sources behind chatbot responses.

Today the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Ai2) unveiled OLMoTrace — a seemingly minor feature with major implications for AI verifiability.

Check out my post on The New Stack , which dives into the technology that is allowing LLMs to cite the exact source behind chatbot responses.

I was excited to see this since LLMs have struggled with transparency. I sense this could set a precedent for other chatbots to embed similar traceability.

Featured image credit: natalie nedelmann

Exploring alternative managed Kubernetes platforms

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 17:19:08 GMT

My latest on InfoWorld reviews many of the alternative managed Kubernetes platforms.

If you're exploring managed Kubernetes, there are now many alternatives beyond EKS, AKS, and GKE. The ecosystem has exploded with options tailored to multi-cloud, edge, on-prem, and regional deployments.

For InfoWorld, I reviewed 14 alternative managed Kubernetes platforms — for each, I dug into vendor docs, user reviews, where it shines, and what folks in the trenches really think. It's in alphabetical order! Not playing favorites. ��

Whether you're running lean or scaling across clouds, there's likely a managed K8s option that fits pretty well beyond the big three.

Featured image credit: Michael Held on Unsplash.

Bringing internal engineering gems into the light

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 18:08:14 GMT

The latest edition of DirectorPlus explores how to externalize successful internal engineering projects.

Some internal tools are too good to keep hidden.

But how do you find these gems? And when should you externalize them?

I spoke with Spotify's Pia Nilsson about how to identify and externalize internal platforms — like they did with Backstage.

According to Nilsson, great internal tools solve a real business problem, serve an underserved need, don't introduce friction, and require ongoing support.

Catch it in the latest edition of DirectorPlus for LeadDev . And be sure to subscribe to DirectorPlus if you'd like this monthly column in your inbox.

Featured image credit: @chuttersnap

Why AI-generated code is not enough

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 13:44:30 GMT

My new feature on InfoWorld explores the gaps in AI-generated code and what needs to change.

Did we normalize AI-generated code too soon?

AI coding assistants promised productivity gains, but reality paints a more complicated picture. AI-generated code is now the norm — but it's also riddled with quality issues, security risks, hallucinations, and a lack of big-picture awareness.

Some worry AI will replace developers entirely, but experts tell a different story. As Steve Wilson puts it, "LLMs are like interns with goldfish memory." They're useful, but they lack the problem-solving ability that senior engineers bring to the table.

For my latest InfoWorld feature, I dug into where AI-generated code falls short — and what’s being done to fix it. Solutions are already in the works: better training data, more context, automated validation, human-in-the-loop processes, AI agents, and more. Time will tell how it shakes out.

I gathered opinions from many leaders in tech and reports on this fascinating subject — thank you to everyone who contributed!

Featured image credit: GuerrillaBuzz on Unsplash.

Can LLMs accelerate software requirements engineering?

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 15:10:43 GMT

New research shows AI tends to outperform humans in software requirements

There's a lot of AI-bashing going on right now (And I know I've stoked the fire a bit ��). But I still see a lot of positives in using it, especially for other areas ancillary to the actual act of coding... one area is software requirements.

Studies show poor requirements are the leading cause of software project failures ( InfoTech, 2024 ). Other reports find that setting these guidelines up front is correlated with success. But, ironically, this is an area often minimized in project roadmaps.

According to new research from Crowdbotics , LLMs outperform human requirements generation on average, slimming a process that takes 2-4 weeks into seconds. They tend to enhance completeness by 10.2% and lead to slightly better alignment at a fraction of the cost.

Cory Hymel, VP of Research and Innovation at Crowdbotics, sees using AI as having big implications for requirements engineering. "It'll become bifurcated like everything else — either you'll either use AI, or you'll fall behind."

Of course, human-in-the-loop matters here, as it's hard to capture everything, like environmental factors, company culture, and access to internal data. "Having humans in the mixture helps bring creativity into the mix," he says.

Just thought I'd give a shoutout to some explorations on the sidelines of AI-generated code, which seems to take up most of the literature on using LLMs in software engineering.

I'll be curious to see if engineering leaders agree. Are you seeing the benefits of embedding LLMs into the requirements engineering phase? Or does it still pose too many gaps in practice?

How eBPF is evolving container networking

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:47:10 GMT

My latest feature on InfoWorld explores how eBPF is disrupting the status quo for container networking.

Is eBPF the future of container networking? It's certainly shaking things up...

Containers are designed to be isolated—that's great for security but tricky for networking. eBPF is rewriting the rules, working at the kernel-level, and optimizing performance by cutting out the heavy network stack.

As Liz Rice, Chief Open Source Officer at Isovalent, told me, "With eBPF, we can bypass parts of these superfluous networking stacks."

For my latest InfoWorld feature , I spoke with top minds in the space about how eBPF is transforming container networking, who's adopting it, what challenges remain, and where else eBPF is making an impact.

Huge thanks to everyone who contributed their insights.

Featured image credit: GuerrillaBuzz on Unsplash.

Putting agentic AI to the test

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:17:28 GMT

The latest edition of DirectorPlus explores how New Relic is utilizing agentic AI and what the results have been.

A lot is being said about agentic AI right now. But is it all hype?

I recently synced with Camden Swita , Head of AI and ML Innovation at New Relic, on this loaded topic for LeadDev — we dove into the details to explore how New Relic developers are actually putting it to the test and seeing real-world results.

This one is loaded with on-the-ground insights. For instance, I never dreamed image-to-text models would outperform raw text for things like navigating a database schema!

Success with agentic AI involves tracking the right metrics, bridging deterministic and probabilistic AI, getting input from various domain experts, and discovering new optimizations, says Camden.

Finding success with AI is a moving target, especially with mounting quality concerns . So, it's fascinating to see how agentic AI is being approached in real-world settings.

Check out the full story on LeadDev ! And be sure to subscribe to DirectorPlus if you'd like this monthly column in your inbox.

Featured image credit: Cash Macanay a on Unsplash.

Study reveals growing technical debt in AI age

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 15:42:11 GMT

The alarms are starting to sound about declining code quality in the AI age.

The 2nd annual code quality report from GitClear analyzed 211 million changed lines of code and found 10x more duplicated code than two years ago and fewer signs of code reuse than ever before. Check out my full analysis, published today on LeadDev .

I covered this study the first year it was conducted, in 2024 for DevOps.com . I think the quantitative data finally proves what many of us have been hearing anecdotally. There are gaps in AI-generated code, at least for now.

Getting into why AI-generated code isn't good enough, and how we can improve, is an area I plan to cover with a broader feature story soon — stay tuned!

Is Kubernetes finally becoming more usable?

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 14:06:28 GMT

My latest feature on InfoWorld interviews 10 industry experts on whether the world's topmost container scheduler is getting easier to use.

Is Kubernetes getting easier to use? Excited to share my first big feature story of the year for InfoWorld . This one dives into the state of Kubernetes usability, informed by interviews I had with many experts at KubeCon NA late last year.

If you want a low-down on the state of the cloud native ecosystem, check this one out! It covers the latest headway being made around new workload types, observability features, security, edge deployments, AI use cases, and more.

The short and skinny is that while incredible progress has been made, wrangling Kubernetes in the enterprise often means always playing catchup with increasing complexity. Alignment is there, but there's still room for growth and maturity.

As Gaurav Rishi puts it, " Kubernetes is 10 years young ."

Thanks so much to everyone involved in this story. I had a blast combing the showcase floor at KubeCon and learning from all these intelligent people. This is what I love about tech journalism.

Will Kubernetes become mature and easy in the coming years, or a rebellious and unwieldy teen? Time will tell.

Featured image credit: Andrés Dallimonti on Unsplash.

Carving out time for large-scale engineering chores

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 18:03:25 GMT

The latest edition of DirectorPlus features Kent Wills, Director of Engineering, Yelp around how to prioritize the engineering laundry list.

No one has time for migrations. But ignoring them? That’s a recipe for disaster.

The thing is, development teams are pressed to deliver more with less right now. It's becoming harder to prioritize tasks like OS and language migrations, major dependency updates, and everything else that keeps software running smoothly.

I recently spoke with Kent Wills, Director of Engineering at Yelp, for DirectorPlus about how they tackle these unavoidable engineering chores. At Yelp, they’re prioritizing changes by setting yearly timelines, creating paved roads, and finding engineers who actually enjoy optimizing software (yes, they exist!).

The fact is global engineering improvements need leadership from the top down to get prioritized — especially at a large org. These efforts are critical for keeping the lights on, retaining agility, and avoiding vulnerabilities.

Check out the full post, now live on LeadDev today ! It’s packed with actionable advice for staying on top of the backlog.

Also, if you want monthly on-the-ground insights from leading engineering directors, be sure to sign up for the DirectorPlus newsletter here .

Lastly, if you'd like to be featured in DirectorPlus, reach out to me ! We’re planning interviews for 2025.

Featured image credit: Tim Johnson on Unsplash.

5 potential use cases for Arazzo

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 14:17:56 GMT

Italian for “tapestry,” Arazzo is aptly named since it can be used to weave together sequences of API calls to illustrate a specific business pattern.

Digital interactions — like logging into an app, booking a flight, or making an online purchase — often involve a series of interconnected steps. Behind the scenes, these workflows rely on passing data between multiple services, yet they’re rarely documented in a standardized way.

That’s where Arazzo , a new open standard spec from OpenAPI Initiative, comes in. It could be a game-changer for making API-driven workflows more transparent, testable, and deterministic — which is especially intriguing for AI use cases.

I explored five key areas where Arazzo could have a big impact, from multi-endpoint libraries to standardizing patterns in unified APIs. Check out my breakdown on the Speakeasy blog .

Featured image credit: Alexas_Fotos on Unsplash.

How genAI can aid Kubernetes troubleshooting

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:00:48 GMT

"If you use a generic AI model to investigate these issues, it will simply fail you," says Itiel Schwartz, co-founder and CTO at Komodor.

Before everyone’s really checked out for the holidays, here’s a quick read for you: I just published a short piece for InfoWorld exploring how generative AI could help troubleshoot Kubernetes issues. Spoiler: it’s all about the training datasets.

I caught up with CTO Itiel Shwartz about leveraging finely tuned models like Komodor’s KlaudiaAI agent for ultra-specific DevOps challenges, like Kubernetes error diagnosis and remediation challenges. Schwartz didn’t hold back: "If you use a generic AI model to investigate these issues, it will simply fail you. We tried it time after time." According to him, the more specific the model is, the less likely it is to hallucinate for these particular use cases.

The article also touches on how major cloud players and industry leaders are stepping into this space — so whether you're in DevOps or just curious about AI in Kubernetes management, it's worth a look.

✨ Also, I’m working on a bigger feature about Kubernetes usability, sparked by some fantastic conversations at KubeCon NA. That’s coming in the new year, so stay tuned!

Featured image credit: Growtika on Unsplash.

Framing AI in the right light

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 16:38:41 GMT

Check out the new DirectorPlus edition for smart takes on leading AI rollouts.

How do you introduce AI to programmers without causing unrest or fear of lost jobs? It's all about framing it in a positive light, says GitLab's CTO, Sabrina Farmer. I interviewed her for the latest edition of DirectorPlus for LeadDev , which is out today.

"Leadership is all about framing," says Farmer. "I think AI will change jobs and force evolution. From a leader’s perspective, we need to talk in a way that makes people want to embrace it."

She also recommends sharing success stories internally, encouraging leadership to use it, and a 'bring-your-own model' flexibility. In general, she advocates viewing change as an opportunity rather than viewing it as a dystopic blocker. Check out the full story for some great insights.

Reviewing the year of DirectorPlus

In 2024, I synced with some of today's top engineering directors and CTOs at companies like Netlify, Slack, Intuit Mailchimp, GitLab, Bloomberg, GitHub, DivBrands, and beyond. We dove into themes like continuous learning , developer productivity , AI-driven development , building customer-first , rolling out AI initiatives , and leading microservices migrations .

My takeaway: engineering leadership is about leading people

We're starting to assemble quite a corpus of knowledge to help guide engineering directors. Having done these interviews, what I'm realizing is that for leaders at this level, you really need a keen sense of the technology at the core. But, a lot of the problems you're dealing with are cultural or inter-personal.

And that's a wrap of DirectorPlus newsletters for 2024. I've really enjoyed putting these together each month. More is lined up for next year that I'm excited to share. Stay tuned!

Featured image credit: Pat Krupa on Unsplash.

What's on the top of CIOs' minds lately? Resilience.

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:31:36 GMT

Surmounting risks are encouraging CIOs to future-proof and update their resilience strategies. My latest feature for CIO.com explores resilience head-on.

In today's tech landscape, there's no shortage of challenges that can disrupt the day-to-day. From the CrowdStrike incident to new AI risks, mounting cyberattacks, and persistent software supply chain threats, staying ahead of risks is critical.

"Over the past year, the focus on risk management has evolved significantly," says Meerah Rajavel, CIO of Palo Alto Networks.

I'm excited to share my latest feature for CIO , where I explore how smart executives approach resilience. It's not just about preventing issues — it's about future-proofing, managing risk, and having the visibility and processes in place to respond effectively and limit damage.

Just like homeowners are encouraged to have a disaster preparedness kit, organizations should prepare for disasters and practice how to respond.

Featured image credit: Matt Paul Catalano on Unsplash.

DX Core 4 unifies developer productivity frameworks

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 17:22:14 GMT

My latest article on LeadDev explores how DX Core 4 combines elements from DORA, SPACE, and DevEx.

Today, DX debuted a new developer productivity framework, DX Core 4. I'm excited to break the news with LeadDev , interviewing one of the designers of the framework, Abi Noda. The framework encapsulates the best of predecessors like DORA, SPACE, and DevEx.

What's interesting is the focus on self-reported metrics as well as financial outcomes, as well as unique metrics like 'time to 10th PR' in addition to the typical agility measurements. Unifying things like this could get multiple stakeholders involved.

The release follows increasing interest in developer productivity engineering . I'll be interested to see how folks respond to this, given some push back leaving some executives uncertain whether measuring productivity is worth it .

Of course, productivity measurement shouldn't be done at the individual level for many reasons. Check out the full story for a closer look into the new framework and how to get productivity measurement right in general.

Read the article on LeadDev here .

Hot tip: If you like this type of stuff, Sign up to the DirectorPlus newsletter for a new story in your inbox each month featuring on-the-ground insights from some of the industry's top engineering leaders. Or, if you would like to be featured in the series, please read this .

Migrating to microservices at MACH-speed

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:38:00 GMT

The latest issue of DirectorPlus looks at a successful microservices migration story.

"There was no way to maintain that without a sledgehammer," says Gus Fune, Chief Technology Officer at DivBrands. Microservices can decouple software, easing maintenance and preventing outages, yet migrating to a microservices architecture from a legacy stack is challenging.

In this issue of DirectorPlus , Gus Fune shares the story behind reverse engineering a monolithic e-commerce platform following MACH principles , which stands for microservices, APIs, cloud-native, and headless. In the end, the transition actually saved them from losing revenue.

From sledgehammers to emojis, we see how they got there and what the benefits have been, and look at some tips other engineering leaders should consider when embarking on a microservices migration.

Read the article on LeadDev here .

How spec-first API documentation aids partner integration

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 17:43:38 GMT

Using a source of truth can greatly benefit partner API integrations .

Having good API documentation is one thing. Being specification-first is next level. My latest post on the Bump.sh blog looks into the benefits a specification-driven, git-based approach to documentation can bring to partner API integrations .

The idea is that by using a source of truth and focusing on documentation earlier in the pipeline, API providers can produce more accurate, detailed descriptions and evolve their service more effectively. This can benefit discovery and resolve drift, equating to a better partner experience.

If you're an API provider opening your API to partners , definitely check out this one for some solid reasons why spec-driven documentation should be at the forefront.

Understanding the root causes of API drift

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:00:03 GMT

Many APIs stray from their definitions. My latest feature on Nordic APIs explores the root causes behind API drift.

A recent report found 75% of APIs stray from their OpenAPI specifications. That surprised me and inspired me to ask: why is drift so common?

There are a ton of answers to why drift is endemic. Intentional documentation and spec-first cultures are rare. APIs keep multiplying yet API governance is still in its infancy. Others attribute it to a lack of comprehensive testing and tools to produce quality descriptions. Or, a lack of discipline in general.

Today on Nordic APIs , I dive deeper into API drift to understand some of the root causes and to see how drift impacts developer experience and the business at large. We also put together some solid tips on ways engineering leaders can mitigate drift.

All in all, it seems like solving the drift problem will require tools to detect drift, conformance testing, as well as spreading more knowledge-sharing and clarifying responsibilities.

Thank you to APIContext for igniting some interesting discussion and to everyone who participated in this story!

Takeaways from KubeCon 2024

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 23:37:11 GMT

KubeCon is a wrap! I had a blast seeing friends and meeting a lot of new people at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA 2024. Also had the pleasure of interviewing a number of smart minds for stories I have in the works. I'm looking forward to writing up some formalized takes for some of the publications I write for. But for now, here are a handful of takeaways from the event.

Kubernetes Marks Its Tenth Birthday

Kubernetes, now ten years old, remains the second-highest velocity open-source project after Linux. Opening remarks at KubeCon celebrated the project's history, featuring Kelsey Hightower and others sharing quick reflections. Hightower credited the extension frameworks and the role of the community in shaping the tech over the years. "It's easy to predict the future when you're working on it," he said.

When they open-sourced Kubernetes back then, it was far from done, noted Lachlan Evenson, poking fun at the reckless early adopters. Over the years, its flexibility has evolved significantly, supporting a wide array of workload types. "Kubernetes is a platform for building platforms," he said, though he also highlighted the need for better security controls and simplified complexity.

Kubernetes is also still not great at offering an adequate abstraction for applications, according to Bailey Hayes. "Wasm is going to be that next major abstraction in tech," she says. However, just as containers didn't entirely replace VMs, WebAssembly is unlikely to fully replace containers. For deeper insights on that, check out my story on InfoWorld on this very topic.

Patent Trolls Threaten Open Source

The patent troll dilemma was eye-opening. I didn't expect patent trolls to come up at the opening remarks today at KubeCon! Apparently, patent trolls are becoming an increasing threat to cloud-native open source. "We have to band together to figure out how to deal with this problem," said Chris Aniszczyk.

Assertions by non-practicing entities involving Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) projects have been increasing year after year. And companies that are attacked often end up caving to these patent bullies. Unfortunately, the settlement fee is often less than the requirement of taking it to court to defend yourself, describes Joanna Lee.

I was totally oblivious to this issue. They say the maturity of open source (it's 80-90% of the code deployed) has attracted attention from some unsavory types. To fight this increasing problem, CNCF is helping to crowdsource and publish prior art and invalidate patents these folks use as claims. They even announced a bounty-program-like program.

I know legal stuff is not a sexy topic to highlight at all, but I hate to see this type of bullying and thought I'd help amplify it to bring attention to the efforts to fight it, because this community is cool. "Don't touch open source, because we're not going to cave," says Jim Zemlin.

Platform Engineering Takes the Spotlight

This year, what stuck out to me was the big focus on platform engineering and a recurring phrase that has just about become a cliche: "Treat the platform as a product." It seems like platform engineering initiatives are really maturing. Companies are spending more effort to streamline the developer experience associated with internal platforms.

"Tools think that APIs don't exist," said Viktor Farcic in his presentation at Platform Engineering Day about rethinking developer portals. It's 2024, and people are finally talking about hashtag APIs at KubeCon. He didn't want to take time recreating processes manually when working with internal developer portals (IDPs) on the market, so he complained to the tooling providers to build some. At least one did (Port IO). That's progress.

Reviewing The Event

Kubernetes has become more usable, and running AI workloads on Kubernetes has become a common requirement. I also noticed more chatter about WebAssembly, open-source funding, and agentic AI. I'm also sensing a lot of potential with eBPF, so I'll be following it more closely.

At KubeCon, I let an AI draw my face, took a quick ski trip in the snowy Utah mountains, and checked in with the jovial CNCF mascots. Also enjoyed mingling with Isovalent's hive mind for post-show drinks. Digging the dad hat swag lately… if you see a dad walking around Portland, Maine, in a The New Stack or containerd cap, that's probably this guy.

I really enjoyed this year and can't wait to write up more formalized takes for some of the publications I write for. Many 'thank yous' to Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and the Speakeasy Strategies team for making my trip possible and for making me feel welcome.

Can Wasm replace containers?

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 19:23:04 GMT

“If you’re talking about replacing containers, you have to talk about replacing Linux,” says Solomon Hykes, co-founder of Docker and Dagger.

In my latest feature for InfoWorld , I delve into a hot topic: Can Wasm really replace containers? I sat down with six industry experts to get to the bottom of where Wasm shines and where containers still dominate.

Check it out to learn where WebAssembly makes a real difference — like in the edge, browser, and sandboxed plugins — and why containers remain essential for long-running, stateful processes in cloud-native environments.

Big thanks to all the contributors for sharing their insights:

- Solomon Hykes, co-founder of Docker, Inc and co-founder of Dagger

- Matt Butcher, co-founder and CEO of Fermyon Technologies

- Michael Yuan, founder of Second State and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF)'s WasmEdge project

- Bailey Hayes, CTO of Cosmonic

- Colin Murphy, senior software engineer at Adobe

- Luke Wagner, distinguished engineer at Fastly

Give it a read and join the conversation as we head into KubeCon 2024!

A walk through API economy trends in 2024

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 18:15:24 GMT

Here's my opening keynote presentation from last month's Nordic APIs Platform Summit 2024. In it, I take a stroll through some API economy trends from throughout the past year or so. I also talk way too much about walking. ��

My presentation covers the rise in APIs across the board and how this is drilling down the need for more oversight in areas like governance, developer experience, and security. I also talk about the symbiotic relationship with AI — how it's producing more APIs but could also aid API design, management, and security.

The presentation focuses on some other trends that are pretty specific to the niche API culture, like what's happening lately in description languages, an interesting report on specification drift, and what the heck 'API management unbundling' means.

Anyways, it's a 30k ft view of the space, but hopefully gives a perspective on the current trends we're finding interesting. I think I only had a couple of stumbles along the trail. ��

You can also read the accompanying blog post on Nordic APIs for more specific information and links.

If you like this presentation, consider checking out all the other great sessions from Platform Summit 2024 .

See you at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA 2024!

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:44:45 GMT

I'm excited to return to KubeCon next week!

I had a great experience at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA in Chicago 2023 and look forward to the Salt Lake City edition. I'm excited about the co-located events, sitting in on certain talks, meandering the showcase area, nerding out with CNCF project maintainers, and attending some post-show events.

I've also lined up a number of interviews around some pressing topics I hope to cover for the publications I contribute to. Some of these topics include:

- Is Kubernetes getting more usable? How so?

- How eBPF changes container networking

- Cloud-native open-source economy outlooks

- How to get platform engineering right for developers

- API industry trends for 2025

- Is WebAssembly ready for the enterprise?

- Will AI-assisted development be normalized in 2025?

If you have any leads or interesting perspectives for my coverage, feel free to reach out to me here .

Will AI-generated code be normalized in 2025?

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:50:20 GMT

This story is in progress: I'm collecting input here .

Over the last two years, we've seen monumental promises around AI’s impact on developer productivity. Tools like GitHub Copilot are becoming ubiquitous, while OpenAI continues to push boundaries with groundbreaking features. Yet, the AI landscape is still a Wild West and must mature. We've witnessed the downsides of hallucination, questionable code quality , bloat & technical debt , copyright/IP restrictions, friction with data regulations, security issues with LLMs , confusion about what open-source AI is , and more. Not to mention the high energy and environmental costs of AI processing.

Valuable use cases with AI are still rare . Some analysts say the genAI bubble has popped, and some tech leaders are pulling the plug on major AI investments. There is also competing research on the actual productivity gains of using AI agents for code development. For consumer-facing AI-driven apps, "Disclaimer: results may not be accurate" is the saying of this age.

Despite this, there are signs of AI-generated code improving. Engineering leads are increasingly embedding it in development workflows , and developers are beginning to expect AI assistance . 2025 may be a breakout year for AI-generated code to become more stable, secure, and normalized. What will be done to get there?

I'm putting together a feature to discuss both the potential for widespread AI adoption and the practical steps necessary for overcoming current limitations. By forecasting these advancements, I hope to predict whether AI-generated code will truly be part of mainstream development by next year.

The deadline for submission is Friday, 11/15/24, 5 pm PST .

I’m looking for commentary from respected individuals in the software development field, offering practical examples (no product pitches). For efficiency's sake, I'll only be accepting input here on the below. I cannot guarantee the publication of any or all responses. Setting a maximum 1k characters (~150 words) per response. Looking forward to reading your thoughts!

This is probably for InfoWorld but may run elsewhere.

Looking for CIO sources for feature on resilience

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:06:42 GMT

Story in progress: How resilient CIOs are future-proofing to avoid risks

In light of recent incidents like CrowdStrike and the growing threat landscape, resilience has never been more crucial. For a feature for CIO.com, I’m exploring how CIOs are preparing to face these challenges head-on by addressing technical debt, strengthening risk management postures, modernizing legacy systems, and utilizing emerging technologies.

I want to learn what actions are most effective, the value they bring, and how CIOs are communicating these imperatives to senior leadership to secure investment.

I'm collecting input from CIOs with relevant insights to share. This opportunity is specifically for folks with 'CIO' in their title, or closely related positions. If you are a PR rep and see a fit, feel free to share the opportunity with your clients or colleagues. For efficiency's sake, I'm only collecting written responses in this form (no interviews).

The deadline for submission is Friday, 11/15/24, 5 pm PST .

Cooking up a culture of continuous learning

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:04:24 GMT

Another DirectorPlus edition is out ! For this one, I synced with Rod Garcia, VP of Engineering at Slack, for a tasty look at continuous learning.

��‍�� Ok, put your aprons on, because today's edition of DirectorPlus is for all you software engineering cooks out there.

Just like cooking the perfect pizza pie, with software engineering, you experiment to get the right recipe and variables and then execute it every time. Hopefully, with delicious results. ��

To achieve this, Garcia shared with me how he's actively encouraging continuous learning within Slack’s super collaborative culture — it's a combination of de-siloing teams, inner-sourcing knowledge, dogfooding tools, and the occasional book club.

Check it out on LeadDev today !

AI makes edge computing more relevant to CIOs

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 16:12:13 GMT

The rise of AI is influencing new edge deployment patterns. My latest feature for CIO.com dives into use cases for AI on the edge.

Analysts predict the future of AI will involve more autonomous decision-making closer to the source. Processing AI on the edge could help reduce latency and unnecessary data transfers and improve data privacy. As such, some CIOs are considering edge AI on their roadmaps.

My latest article on CIO.com gauges the interest around edge AI, its potential use cases, and tips on getting it right. "By 2025, edge computing will become even more widespread, particularly as AI and IoT expand," says Theresa Payton, former White House CIO and founder of cybersecurity company Fortalice Solutions. CIOs see many use cases in areas like smart cities, retail, manufacturing, energy grid optimizations, and beyond.

Of course, AI projects have had a lot of hype recently. Edge AI will hinge on optimized investments in infrastructure, using the right AI models, and keeping an eye on the environmental impact.

Check out the post for the full story! Thanks to everyone who participated in this one. By the way, if you are a CIO or represent one, I'm always looking for more CIOs to feature in my ongoing coverage on CIO. Feel free to send folks my way.

Featured image credit: Nicolas Arnold on Unsplash.

Takeaways from Nordic APIs Platform Summit 2024

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:32:56 GMT

Like the rise of northern light sightings worldwide, Nordic APIs is something awe-inspiring from the north that’s starting to seep into regions globally.

The knowledge shared at last week's Nordic APIs Platform Summit was incredible! Check out my wrap-up post on the Nordic APIs blog that reviews the key takeaways from the talks I was able to attend.

In short, what stood out to me was the need to solidify the role of APIs as an enablement layer for AI. Speakers also emphasized security trends, new description languages, recent developments in developer experience, and evolving API governance and management practices.

I kicked off the conference with a keynote that walked through API trends from the last year. I also moderated a couple of panel discussions, one on API authorization and another on developer experience — I like these because the conversation is a bit more free-flowing.

I was continually impressed by the speakers and fascinating side conversations about APIs and other areas, too, like open source, quantum computing, and environmental awareness. I see this community leading a lot of positive discussions in the API space (and beyond).

I was proud to take part in such a well-oiled event! Keep up the good work, everyone. I hope to welcome you all back next year. Until then, follow our work on the Nordic APIs blog .

How do we fund open source?

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 18:11:47 GMT

How we support open source is the question of our time. My latest story on InfoWorld outlines the possible ways to fix maintainer inequities and fund this critical ecosystem.

The big question in open source right now is funding. Today I'm excited to share my article published on InfoWorld that lays out all the possible funding avenues for open source, featuring insights from experts with deep experience across various open source software communities.

To fix the inequity in open source, folks have suggested SaaS-like payments, more project sponsorship, increased code contributions, corporate pledges, government aid, and other tactics, like intermediary companies.

I hope this will shed some light on the issue and inspire some goodwill. Personally, I think treating open source as a public good is the most forward-looking option, although it'll probably require a combination of the efforts laid out here to sustain this ecosystem as those initiatives mature.

As Red Hat's Brian Proffitt says, "There is no one-size-fits-all solution."

Don't overlook the value of partner APIs

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:17:25 GMT

Public APIs get the spotlight, but there's a lot to be said for partner API strategies .

Partner APIs are a hidden value in the API economy. They unlock new monetization capabilities, enable partner ecosystems and network expansion, and help create data-sharing interfaces to meet regulatory requirements.

Check out my post on the Bump.sh blog today that dives into all things partner APIs! In it, I explore common partner API business models and look at examples of affiliate developer programs and partner ecosystems, from AirBnB to eBay, Shutterstock, Walgreens, Kroger, and beyond.

Check it out for some inspiration and tips on getting a partner API program up and running.

Motivating engineers with customer outcomes

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 12:35:04 GMT

Another DirectorPlus edition is out ! For this one, I synced with Jack Tam, SVP and CTO at Intuit Mailchimp, about how to motivate engineers by bringing them closer to the end user. Read it here .

Intuit Mailchimp gives engineers a direct window into customer outcomes through qualitative feedback and quantitative metrics. “The engineers appreciate the direct connection and transparency to customer feedback,” says Tam. “This helps them connect their work to what matters to our customers.”

Tam shares why translating metrics and feedback to engineers is necessary to build a "customer-first"culture. That, and some sound advice about what he's learned throughout his work at Intuit regarding scalability, closing loops, directing development, switching to being more "capability-oriented," and more.

Check out the full article on LeadDev for some helpful insights.

How to govern increasingly disparate API portfolios

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:23:29 GMT

For my latest feature on InfoWorld , many API industry experts chime in on how to govern a sprawling, disparate API portfolio.

Earlier in the year, I collected a ton of input from API industry experts on how enterprises should bring governance to their burgeoning API catalogs. Very excited to publish an in-depth feature today with InfoWorld that distills this knowledge! Read it here .

The piece looks into what's driving API adoption and offers some tips on how to govern the rise in multiple styles and gateways. It also explores the benefits of governance and outlooks for the future. This follows a piece a wrote for CIO.com on why executives are backing API governance .

"Despite their significance, few are aware of the importance of APIs in IT or the global economy, as this has largely been a silent revolution," says Kong's Marco Palladino. I hope this article sheds some light on the 'silent revolution.' ��

Thanks to everyone who shared for this piece. I hope this helps get the API community out of its echo chamber a bit. Be sure to follow my work on InfoWorld for more coverage in this and other areas of enterprise tech.

Looking for CIO sources for edge and AI story

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:23:09 GMT

For my continuing features on CIO.com , I'm gathering perspectives from CIOs on AI and edge computing. I'm specifically curious to see how and if the AI movement is driving interest in edge computing, what use cases this specifically makes sense for, and the strategic benefits to the business.

This opportunity is only for folks with 'CIO' in their title. If you are a PR rep and see a fit, feel free to share the opportunity with your clients or colleagues. For efficiency's sake, I'm only collecting written responses in this form (no interviews).

The deadline for submission is Friday, 9/20/24, 5 pm PST .

How to retain engineers in a chaotic market

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:48:05 GMT

The latest edition of DirectorPlus is out! In this one, Global Head of Engineering, Adam Wolf , explains how Bloomberg has navigated hiring and retaining engineering talent throughout a tumultuous economy.

At Bloomberg, the secret sauce to developer retention has been a combination of factors: slow and steady growth, hybrid work, rigorously selecting the right candidates, and sustained effort to create a strikingly modern yet stable working culture.

He also explained why it’s important to contribute back to open source. Check out the full article on LeadDev for some helpful insights on what it takes to lead a growing engineering division.

Sign up to the DirectorPlus newsletter for a new story each month featuring on-the-ground insights from some of the industry's top engineering leaders. Or, if you would like to be featured in the series, please read this .

Catch my interviews with key Platform Summit speakers

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:22:58 GMT

Ahead of Nordic APIs' Platform Summit 2024 , I've been syncing with some of our great speakers for a sneak peek at their upcoming sessions. We've covered a lot of ground in these interviews, like API design trends, the undercurrents of third-party consumption, making the community more inclusive, and more.

Here are links to all of the interviews published on the Nordic APIs blog:

Championing Diversity in the API Community - Claire Barrett, APIsFirst, Director and Founder
API Design in the Post-OpenAPI Era - Daniel Kocot, Head of API Consulting, codecentric AG
The Undercurrents of Third-Party API Consumption Management - Eyal Solomon, Lunar.dev, CEO
Context Should Direct API Architecture Choices - Rob Allen, Nineteen Feet Limited, software consultant
Why API Security Needs a Proactive Approach - Antoine Carossio, Escape, co-founder and CTO

The Platform Summit 2024 agenda is looking nearly complete, and the team has been doing a killer job in the last mile of this event prep. I hope to see as many of you as possible at the show, October 7-9 in Stockholm!

What's next for Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure?

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 16:10:52 GMT

Exciting developments in cloud infrastructure are on the horizon. These fundamentally industry-altering design patterns, open-source tools, and architectures are set to address the complexity and scaling challenges of Kubernetes and evolve cloud infrastructure as we know it today.

Very happy to share my first-ever feature on InfoWorld today , which seeks to answer 'what's next' for K8s and cloud infrastructure.

In short, we can expect a reduction of complexity in using Kubernetes, more growth in the mass enterprise market, better cross-cloud visibility with OpenTelemetry, heightened platform abstractions, inner-K8s virtualization, new modes of AI orchestration, a move toward the edge, the rise of WebAssembly and more.

As an industry, we need to get out of the weeds of YAML and "climb the ladder of abstraction," Jonas Bonér, CTO of Lightbend, says. "The next generation of serverless is that you don’t see infrastructure at all."

Read the full article to see what industry-leading experts think is on the horizon for cloud infrastructure. Thank you to everyone who contributed input to make this one possible!

Also, I'm excited to write for InfoWorld regularly, and look forward to sharing some other stories in the pipeline soon.

Be careful with ‘open source’ AI

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:50:59 GMT

For the last few months, I've been looking into open source AI — the confusion around defining 'open source' AI, the potential risks or issues with restrictive licenses, the performance differences across open LLMs, and so on. I think this is a fascinating and (murky world) with many ripple effects for developers.

My latest article on LeadDev looks into open source AI and tries to make some sense for engineering leaders on how to approach it. There are some great gems here on how to evaluate and safely use open-source AI.

There's definitely more to be said about the state of AI, and I'm excited to follow this space.

What Is an API Developer Experience Audit?

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 23:45:29 GMT

In the software industry, quality developer experience (DX) is now an expectation. Most technology leaders agree investing in DX can significantly reduce costs . And as API-based products become more commonplace , there is a growing incentive to improve the API developer experience to stand out .

A developer experience audit is one way to improve the usability of an API. It involves walking through the API developer's experience, from creating an account and grabbing API keys to making calls and maintaining integrations for the long haul. By putting yourself in a developer's shoes, the process provides actionable insights on how to improve your developer-facing front end.

Unlike functional testing or security testing, a developer experience review is unique because it's all about the human element. You and your team may think your API docs and tutorials make sense, but they might not be as easy for external developers or partners. Assessing DX is paramount for building user empathy and seeing how folks use an API in the real world.

7 Key Steps of an API Developer Experience Review

Understanding an API's developer experience and improving it can enhance user engagement, increase signups, and lead to a better overall API product. In order to test this, an API developer experience review involves various phases.

1. Initial Onboarding

First is assessing the getting started process. This usually involves creating an account, registering an app, adding payment details, and getting API keys. If the developer onboarding flow is not self-service , or if the developer dashboard is not usable, it can stunt adoption.

2. Making API Calls

Next is an audit of the actual integration experience. How easy is it to make an API request? How quickly can I get to 'Hello World'? Developers test APIs using various means, such as cURL in Terminal, third-party API testing applications like Postman, or through an integrated sandbox or playground. So, these experience testing APIs from different sources should be evaluated.

3. Checking Responses and Errors

Next is assessing the nitty-gritty of API requests and responses. Do error responses have detailed helpful messages? Are there consistent naming conventions throughout path names, methods, and parameters? Do HTTP methods conform to standard semantics? A developer usability audit looks into these call mechanics from the human perspective to see what can be improved.

4. Evaluating API Documentation

Many developers go straight to the docs. As such, they're often the first impression a developer will have with an API. This part of the review assesses the quality of the API reference. Are the docs organized and well-structured with a nice-looking design? Are parameters and fields clearly described? Are there code samples, and if so, is there good language support? There are countless other points to consider with API documentation, like the changelog, versioning information, search and discoverability, and more.

5. Assessing Developer Resources

A developer portal typically has more than just the API reference. For instance, is there a public OpenAPI description file ? Language-specific SDKs? A developer experience review considers the various types of interfaces and tools, including HTTP calls, SDKs, CLI, or IDE plugins, that programmers can use to access value from an API.

6. Reviewing Ongoing Maintenance

Consuming third-party APIs is more hassle than just a single integration — developer experience must consider the entire API lifecycle. Are changes clearly communicated, and how so? Is there a sunset and deprecation policy? Is there a changelog? Answers to these questions can determine the stability of the API and its overall maintenance burden.

7. Developer Support Channels

Just as helpful is the developer support side of things. Are there relevant tutorials, sample code, walkthroughs, or helpful customer success stories? How easy is it to get through to customer support? Is there a dedicated API support email? Having quality developer resources and a friendly support team is a big benefit to DX.

The Goals of A Developer Experience Audit

An API developer experience review is like the ultimate API usability assessment. It can expose developer pain points you didn't know existed or underscore the things you know you need to work on. This can bring numerous benefits to help improve your frontend.

See how others use your product : Analyzing API developer experience can expose how others operate on your platform, exposing pain points.
Get actionable insights : A DX review produces actionable feedback on improving the API's marketability.
See if your API conforms to best practices : There is a litany of industry-standard expectations for RESTful HTTP APIs, many of which are unwritten rules .
I mprove developer satisfaction : Increase the likelihood of developer engagmeent and retention, and improve your Net Promoter Score (NPS).
Stay on top of developer experience trends : Learn new cutting-edge styles and perks you hadn't considered.
Decrease costs : Most technology leaders agree that investing in developer experience can reduce costs .

Get An External API DX Review

It's hard to see the forest from the trees. This is why I believe it's helpful to get feedback from the outside. Similar to hiring a consultant to conduct user experience or usability testing services, working with a specialized API DX consultant helps treat your API as the product it is.

And now for the pitch... I am now actively booking clients as an API developer experience consultant ! I have already done this with two customers, including reviewing the API developer experiences for Salad , an AI/ML platform, and Authenticating.com , a suite of authentication APIs. I really enjoyed these projects and would love to do more of them.

Why Work With Me?

APIs are my beat. As a tech journalist, I have been following the API economy for over a decade. Over the years, I have evaluated hundreds, if not thousands, of web APIs. And I know intimately that not all API calls are made the same.

I was first a researcher for ProgrammableWeb, a defunct API directory that cataloged the burgeoning API space. Since 2015, I have been the Editor for Nordic APIs , a well-regarded blog and event series in the API community, where we share a ton of knowledge about API best practices, ways to improve documentation, and developer experience tips. I want to help organizations put this knowledge into practice.

I believe an emphasis on developer experience will only become more crucial in the future. And I especially enjoy working with early-stage companies to optimize their strategy. If you'd like to learn more about booking an API developer experience audit, visit this page to place an order, or feel free to contact me for more information.

Reviewing Salad's API developer experience

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 16:33:20 GMT

I recently was hired by Salad to audit the developer experience of their platform. I dug deep into the developer documentation, assessing the onboarding process, testing API calls to see how they function, looking at the error responses, and gauging the overall experience.

Salad has a really cool offering, and I encourage people to try it out. The platform offers a platform-as-a-service to deploy containerized cloud-based GPUs for training and running machine learning models. It also offers more SaaS-y options for calling pre-trained AI models to perform specific tasks, like audio transcription. You can configure some of this visually, but the entire platform is accessible via a RESTful HTTP API as well.

When I do these audits, I really try to get in the developer's shoes and take a "show me the code" mindset. I spent a few days getting comfortable and toying around with the platform. The project culminated in a 10-page audit and an hour-long consultation with the team.

My biggest recommendation was to unify the developer experience, as learnability felt fragmented between the developer portal, individual cards for model recipes, tutorial pages, and the core API reference. I also noticed naming inconsistencies, errors, delays in running certain model jobs, a lack of SDKs, and other minor UI issues.

I loved the Salad API reference's playground, which is based on Mintlify . I also suggested ways to refine the sandbox experience with auto-population for default fields. Some other tips could aid developer experience on Salad, such as including a public OpenAPI file, a public changelog, and stories around developer use cases.

All in all, the platform has a lot of potential, and the team was super friendly and helpful. I look forward to following their journey!

I really enjoy doing these audits (check out the one I did for Authenticating.com ), as it feels very fulfilling to help teams refine their product. Also, I can put all the best practices around API documentation and developer experience that we've been sharing on Nordic APIs for years to good use!

If you are interested in having me audit your API's developer experience, read more information here .

What is the cost of the great developer tool consolidation?

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 11:38:51 GMT

There's been a lot of consolidation in the developer tools market lately. During the first half of 2024, mergers and acquisitions in the technology sector outpaced other industries, increasing by 42% year-over-year. For a piece for LeadDev , I looked into how this wave of tech shakeups is affecting the end developer.

The short answer is that the trend will likely result in increased costs and sunsetted product lines. But there could be some wins, like add-on features and boosting platform engineering. Check out the full article for more specific insights.

5 ways to test APIs for breaking changes

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 11:28:16 GMT

No developer likes an API that breaks. Breaking changes are changes made to APIs that cause some kind of disruption on the integration side.

Thankfully, there are ways you can test for breaking changes in APIs , using methods like specification-based diffing, contract testing, functional testing, performance monitoring, following developer-centric communications, and other tactics.

I recently wrote up a summary of various methods and tools for testing APIs for breaking changes on the Treblle blog. Give it a read here ! I especially enjoyed using oasdiff to compare OpenAPI Specification definitions — that tool is awesome.

Director+: GitHub VP of Engineering on encouraging a passion for productivity

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 16:47:04 GMT

The 2nd edition of LeadDev 's Director+ is out! For this one, I interviewed Neha Batra , VP of Engineering at GitHub , to learn some great tactics for encouraging an internal culture of productivity.

Instead of setting stringent developer productivity expectations, GitHub's culture encourages developers to put aside time to save time. They've seen success from regularly reviewing developer satisfaction and encouraging more diverse and interdisciplinary teams.

Check out the full article for an exclusive window into what GitHub is doing to enhance internal productivity, including "drinking their own champagne," DOLs, the DRI model, cross-pollinating skills, and more.

For more on-the-ground insights from today's top engineering leaders, sign up for the Director+ newsletter here .

How API Consumption Management Aids Financial Compliance

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:36:37 GMT

Third-party API consumption management presents a compelling method to bring better security and compliance controls to a sprawling inventory of financial APIs . For instance, an API mediation layer could help bank API aggregators incorporate things like PII masking, allow/block listing, visibility, logging, API payload inspection, and other helpful abilities.

On the lunar.dev blog , I shared some thoughts about how third-party API consumption management could aid financial compliance.

Director+: Netlify CTO shares how to use AI to create a "sci-fi" DX

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 18:17:29 GMT

The future of AI-assisted development is so greenfield it’s neon-green, says Dana Lawson , CTO of Netlify . Excited to share that the debut edition of the Director+ series is out! You can read the full story here . In short, "it’s some science fiction shit."

For this first edition, I had a blast syncing with Dana about what it's like adopting AI in practice within software development teams. She shared very actionable advice, from establishing a baseline to determining solvable developer experience problems, mitigating risks, and overcoming cultural sigma. To her, understanding how to use this tech responsibly is important to future-proof your stack and team.

Check out the story , and for more, subscribe to Director+ from LeadDev for real case studies on how the best senior engineering leaders in the industry solve tricky challenges. It'll just be one story each month, penned by yours truly. Subscribe here .

I have some other great folks lined up to chat with for this monthly series! If you are a lead engineer, VP of engineering, or in a similar development leadership role with an interesting story to share, feel free to reach out. More information about what we're looking for is here .

Is WebAssembly ready for the enterprise? Experts weigh in.

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:41:17 GMT

The WebAssembly (Wasm) wave is bound to break... someday. My latest post on LeadDev looks at how large companies are using Wasm, and where the technology is going. In short, Wasm is still waiting for its moment .

My post looks at some significant examples of Wasm in production at Adobe, Google, BMW, Shopify, Zeiss Group, Orange, Bloomberg, and elsewhere, and features a cast of Wasm experts on where the technology is heading.

The views on Wasm are mixed. While its use on the web is proven, other use cases are still maturing. Some view Wasm as the next wave of virtualization, but most enterprises are still evaluating Wasm in an experimental, non-production stage. Some say it doesn't suit their needs at all.

WebAssembly is one of the most exciting yet enigmatic fields in tech these days... with a lot of opinions and hype. That said, it shows promise and seems to be on the cusp of something big. As Matt Butcher says: "We're right at the point where the wave breaks." ��

Thanks to everyone who shared input for this story!

Developer Portals Should Be Unique to Stand Out

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:22:51 GMT

Having a top-notch developer portal is becoming more important. Yet, the status quo is that they're pretty limited, says Ron Huber from Apiboost . He shared ideas with me on how to evolve barebones portals to drive API adoption and revenue.

According to Ron, these portals should cater to different subgroups, offer more capabilities, and involve marketing earlier on to match the company's style. "Developer portals are a vital and growing part of any enterprise," says Huber. "Not including them in strategic planning is not only a missed revenue opportunity but could be a competitive disaster in the long run.”

Be sure to read the entire article on the Nordic APIs blog for more insights on crafting top-tier developer portals.

API Management Should Consider Third-Party APIs

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 11:34:53 GMT

To date, API management has only covered internal APIs or productized APIs. There has been a real lack of focus in the market on how we manage the third-party APIs we consume. There are rising costs and security vulnerabilities from blindly ingesting external APIs and a lack of scalable tools to manage it all.

This is changing, however, as new platforms are being developed to manage third-party APIs, like gateways focusing on egress. I'm excited about this trend, as I see many benefits from considering the entire API journey , such as cost savings, better inventory management, and improved performance monitoring.

Anyway, check out the entire article on the Lunar.dev blog on why we should see the end-to-end picture.

Looking for Engineering Stories for New LeadDev Series, DirectorPlus

Thu, 30 May 2024 14:31:42 GMT

��I'm looking for sources to interview!

Are you a VP of engineering, director of engineering, senior software engineer, CTO, or in a similar role with a cool story to share? Or do you work with someone? Please send them my way.

Excited to announce that I'm helping LeadDev kickstart a new series geared toward engineering leadership, DirectorPlus . It's be a monthly newsletter featuring on-the-ground case studies straight from today's engineering leaders on the cutting edge, authored by yours truly.

DirectorPlus features one case study each month. So far, we've featured actionable interviews with engineering leaders at Netlify , GitHub , Bloomberg , Intuit Mailchimp , Slack , with more on the way.

I'm excited to dive into stories across the software engineering spectrum, like:

☁️ Cloud repatriation or migration stories

��️ Journeys with new programming languages

�� Deploying, scaling, and securing new tech like gen AI

��‍�� How engineering leaders are enhancing dev experience

��️ Stories of adopting frameworks or approaches, like Wasm

�� Overseeing new DevOps and platform engineering initiatives

�� How teams are maintaining morale and avoiding churn

... and much, much more

Thanks a lot to editor Scott Carey for helping bring this to fruition. We already have some awesome people in mind, but I'd like to get more interviews on the calendar! If you have any ideas, feel free to reach out. You can get in touch over email or through my contact page .

Featured image by Radowan Nakif Rehan on Unsplash

Should API Gateways Be Programmable? Probably, Yeah.

Thu, 23 May 2024 16:00:16 GMT

I always enjoy talking shop with Josh Twist from Zuplo . He's got a keen sense of how developers operate and a great perspective on the market in general. In our latest chat, we talked about why API gateways should be more programmable . This is something that's often lacking in the more legacy GUI-filled API management platforms, but is becoming more common as gateways become more cloud-native and lean.

According to Josh, a more programmable API gateway can enable things like variable rate limiting, intricate monetizations, smarter routing, and other capabilities. APIs are each pretty unique, catering to various consumer roles and business models, so I can understand why developers would want this sort of programmable control.

Anyways, check out the article for more insights, it's published today on Nordic APIs .

Slides and Recording From My APISEC|Con 2024 Talk on API Sprawl

Wed, 22 May 2024 17:30:37 GMT

What Is API Sprawl, And What Can You Do About It?

You may think your API portfolio looks well-maintained, like a pristine city. Well, think again — welcome to the desert of the real ... a land full of zombie APIs and shadow endpoints...

Today, I presented at APIsec University 's online conference, API|SEC CON 2024 , which had over 1,700 people join to talk all things API security. In my session, What Is API Sprawl, And What Can You Do About It? , I went through some statistics about the state of API adoption and spotlighted some indications that API sprawl conditions are emerging. I ended with some ideas on how to avoid API sprawl. All with references to The Matrix, of course.

Thank you for inviting me to speak, it was a pleasure to be a part of the event!

Here are some of the resources I mentioned in my talk:

- APIFutures: API Sprawl to Be a Pressing Concern in 2024

- API Futures project

- Continuous API Sprawl: Challenges and Opportunities in an API-Driven Economy, F5 report, 2021.

- Why CIOs back API governance to avoid tech sprawl

- The 2022 API Security Trends Report, S&P Global Market Intelligence, 2022.

- The Nordic APIs blog and digest

- OWASP API Security Top 10 2023

Follow me on LinkedIn or X for updates about my articles and upcoming research into API governance!

Download the slides here:

Open source is at a crossroads

Tue, 07 May 2024 17:23:17 GMT

Open source is at a crossroads. There's a lot going on right now, with sudden licensing changes, economic uncertainties, backdoor security vulnerabilities, and questions about what exactly is open source AI.

This whirlwind of challenges makes for a scary prospect if left to spiral. "The effect on our lives if open source software disappeared would be incalculable," says Ruth Suehle, Executive VP, Apache Software Foundation. Yet, the cracks are beginning to show in this global ecosystem...

My latest article, published today on The New Stack , looks at the top pressing concerns for open source at large, including thoughts from some key minds in this space. Thankfully, they shared some helpful ideas for the ecosystem going forward. If you are involved in open source in any way, I encourage you to read this one.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this piece! I hope it inspires some positive discussion.

Thank you to The New Stack for publishing this! Hope to contribute more here in the future.

Executive interest in APIs is booming. Here's why.

Mon, 06 May 2024 15:50:13 GMT

When I first started writing about APIs ten years ago, most executives didn't even know what APIs were. Pitching from the bottom up was a hard sell. But nowadays, the conversation has changed.

"There's no more need to convince," API Evangelist Kin Lane told me. "The trick now is how you educate, align, and keep them investing in the right areas and not getting distracted."

"Most organizations already have dozens, hundreds, or more APIs," says Adam DuVander. "They’ve had a chance to see the benefits. They’ve also noticed the downsides of API sprawl. Both of these things bring more awareness at the executive level."

My latest post on the Treblle blog looks at why there's increasing interest in API strategies at the executive level. I think leadership is realizing the operational benefits, seeing the monetization potential, and coming to terms with the need to govern a burgeoning catalog of services. There are even new roles in the c-suite emerging to oversee API strategies.

Hope people enjoy reading this one! And I hope it reflects the final nail in the coffin of articles about 'why we need APIs.' ��

My article about PostgreSQL is live on LeadDev

Sat, 04 May 2024 20:21:51 GMT

PostgreSQL is the database that quietly ate the world.

Due to its simple and permissive license, community backing, and extensibility, PostgreSQL has silently found itself at the center of modern software development.

I'm excited to share my new post on LeadDev that looks at the ubiquity of PostgreSQL, its history of slow and steady improvements, and why the community loves it so.

I was surprised to see such positive responses from everyone I spoke with. I also like shining a light on a stable, open-source community project that's just been doing its thing for years. And years. And years...

Thanks a lot to everyone who connected with me on this one!

I'm looking forward to diving into areas like WebAssembly and open source AI in future articles for this presence. If you happen to have ideas or leads in those areas, feel free to reach out .

Thank You Apidays NYC 2024!

Sat, 04 May 2024 00:07:31 GMT

I was grateful to Apidays NYC for having me chat a bit on Day 2 about the types of trends we're noticing and covering on Nordic APIs . Had a great time sharing with you all!

Mehdi Medjaoui and I discussed the role of AI in APIs, the need for heightened governance amid API ubiquity, the unbundling of API management, new design styles, and plenty of other topics. And yes, we made sure there was a crackling fire on the screen for our 'fireside chat.' ��

Here are some links to the resources I mentioned in our interview — basically an onboarding to Nordic APIs if you're unfamiliar with what we're up to.

Blog

Nordic APIs, supported by Curity , publishes thought pieces about the API economy every week. Check it out here .

��

If you want to keep up-to-date with API news and tips, follow the newsletter here .

��

If you have an API story to share and would like to write for the blog, we welcome submissions from the API community! Information on contributing is here .

��

Nordic APIs is hosting a couple of yearly summits: the Platform Summit in Stockholm and the Austin API Summit in Austin, Texas. Registration for the next event, The Platform Summit, October 7-9, is now open .

��

Nordic APIs has a rolling call for speakers for our events. The submission form is here .

Call for speakers open for Platform Summit 2024

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:37:31 GMT

I'm getting excited for this year's Platform Summit , to be held October 7-9 2024. Speaker submissions are now open!

For those unaware, the Platform Summit is Nordic APIs' flagship API conference. Every year, we collect some of the brightest minds in the API industry for an intimate summit to discuss how to create top-tier API platforms. The event is now in its 7th year.

I'm helping review submissions for the event and we've already got some great submissions. But, we'd love to feature more API case studies and welcome newcomers. Talk submission details are here .

I'm also happy to chat if anyone would like to learn more or suggest topic ideas. Feel free to reach out on my contact page .

Here's a playlist of sessions from Platform Summit 2023:

Open source is at a crossroads

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:30:33 GMT

There are a lot of challenges in open source right now. From new licensing restrictions, supply chain issues, open source contributor equity, and beyond, there's a lot to consider.

I've gathered input from some of the leading thought leaders in the open-source ecosystem to explore the top challenges facing open source and what the industry needs to evolve.

This post is scheduled to publish on The New Stack on 5/7. I'll include a link when it's live!

Austin API Summit: How Do We Make Platinum APIs?

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:22:53 GMT

My opening keynote from the Austin API Summit 2024 explores the similarities between producing hit albums and hit APIs. It's now published here on YouTube .

As it turns out, making a hit API is a lot like making a hit music album. You have to find a niche, you need good naming, and you need quality content. Also, on the production side, design, style, experience, and collaboration all matter a lot. At the end of the day, both are products, requiring the right management tools, marketing know-how, and infrastructure to scale. In this SXSW-inspired opening keynote, I look into the parallels between the two endeavors, providing a fun and informative look into specific things API providers should be considering on their journey toward becoming API platform rockstars.

I also wrote up a blog post that explores this presentation and links to relevant sources.

If you like this presentation, consider watching all the other great sessions from the Austin API Summit. Here's the full playlist featuring over 40 speaker sessions on a wide range of topics, from API design, to AI strategy, security, developer experience, API description languages, and more.

Nordic APIs also announced its October conference, the Platform Summit , held in Stockholm, Sweden. Call for speakers, registration, and sponsorship opportunities are now open.

Gathering Input Around Gen AI and API Management

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 18:45:15 GMT

How is AI evolving API management?

Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) are having a massive effect on software development. At the Austin API Summit 2024 , AI took the main stage in keynotes and dominated the Q&A discussions between sessions. There was a lot of interesting discussion on how AI will catalyze future API development and how to effectively secure LLMs .

So, I'm curious to know how AI is shifting the API management landscape. I'm collecting expert input for an article exploring how gen AI affects the API landscape. I would love to understand real-life use cases that go beyond speculation.

I'm specifically looking for responses from technical leadership involved in API management solutions and API-first products. If you are interested in submitting input, please submit using the form here . The article will most likely be published on Nordic APIs.

Deadline for submission: Friday March 29 at 5pmPT.

Update: this article is now published on the Nordic APIs blog

Follow My Features on CIO.com

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 20:02:33 GMT

Calling all CIOs...

Excited to share that I have begun freelancing for CIO.com, a publication from Foundry, an IDG, Inc company. I'm writing long-form articles that interview chief information officers (CIOs) on pressing topics. So far I've covered features on API governance , generative AI , and developer productivity .

I think the CIO is an interesting role, navigating many technical and business perspectives. Through my coverage, I hope to continue to uncover actionable takeaways that inform tech executives at the cutting edge. Be sure to follow CIO.com to read my features, and let me know what you think!

Looking for sources

Are you a CIO, or do you work with a CIO who would like to contribute to my ongoing coverage? I am actively seeking input for new stories. Please contact me directly or reach out on my Contact page.

APIs are more relevant than ever

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:11:24 GMT

My opening keynote from the Platform Summit 2023 looks at the role APIs play in shaping our daily lives. It's now published on YouTube.

APIs are increasingly in the public consciousness. In this keynote, I examine the role web APIs continue to play in the lives of both end users and software developers. From social media to generative AI, I briefly explore ome areas where APIs currently have the most impact. Whether you are a high-level architect or ground-floor engineer, this talk should provide helpful takeaways and inspire you to keep chugging along with your API-first platform designs.

v30.0 Release Notes

doerrfeldbill (Bill Doerrfeld) — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 12:19:31 GMT

30 revolutions around the sun

Today I am thrilled to announce a major milestone update — v30.0! ��

Still some bug fixes to go, but I feel confident this decade will bring improved stability, reliability, and performance. ��

Thanks to all who have contributed to making this life cycle great!

New features include:

baby
house
dad responsibilities

This release is backward compatible with v2X.X but v1X.X is no longer supported.

How Storytelling Relates to Tech Blogging

doerrfeldbill (Bill Doerrfeld) — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 03:22:05 GMT

I recently made an appearance on Kin Lane's new show, API Storytelling, a regular discussion about storytelling in the world of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). You can watch our talk here . It's not often that my musings on the tech industry directly intersect with my Creative Writing major past, so this was really fun to be a part of.

The event also helped me realize how much I rely on basic storytelling techniques on a daily basis as a tech journalist and editor. I don't consider blogging about why GraphQL has usurped REST a creative writing endeavor per se, but much of what I do involves fundamental storytelling techniques. For example, most of my articles use a three-part structure involving a nut graf (introduction), a problem statement, and a resolution. I prefer thesis-driven posts that have a good framework, similar to what Brian McDonald calls an "armature."

Good stories entertain, but great ones carry lessons. Stories impart survival techniques. From the perspective of a tech business publication, the best practices and case studies you share could result in success, whereas those without a lifeline to stories could suffer disruption. Storytelling is critical to share knowledge and improve an industry, especially within a domain with such intense evolution as tech.

My Coding Over Cocktails Interview Is out Now

doerrfeldbill (Bill Doerrfeld) — Mon, 17 May 2021 19:21:12 GMT

I recently was interviewed for the Coding Over Cocktails podcast by TORO Cloud. We talked about the Nordic APIs mission, trends we're seeing in the API economy in 2021, and where the future lies with improved developer experiences and new abstraction layers. And yes, I had a cocktail — a Moscow mule. ��

The podcast is on Spotify below. It's also on Apple Podcasts . There's also a full transcription here . It was an honor speak about my career thus far and what I've noticed profiling the API economy over the past six years. Congratulations to the TORO Cloud team for organizing such a pro series.

Here's to "making the world more programmable!"

Using Open Data APIs to Find Local Sunset, Sunrise, and Moon Phase

doerrfeldbill (Bill Doerrfeld) — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 23:54:20 GMT

While on vacation last year I had a little fun writing some basic API use cases. I just wanted some simple landing pages that would show me helpful celestial data. When is sunset in my local timezone? When is the sunrise? What phase is the moon in?

You can view these three websites here: Sunset , Sunrise , Phase . Each should calculate each question correctly based on your local timezone. Below, I explain the process and link to the Github repos.

sunset ��

Github

sunset is a super simple website that uses open data APIs to display the sunset time in your local timezone. Sunset demonstrates how to use HTTP GET calls to open data APIs. First, the code calls the GeoIPLookup.io API to return latitude and longitude coordinates based on the caller's IP address. Next, it passes these coordinates as parameters in a call to the Sunrise-Sunset API. The Sunrise-Sunset API returns the UTC timestamp for the sunset time. Lastly, sunset converts UTC into local time. It uses some JS functions to do that, and some janky slice methods to output what we want to see.

sunrise ��

Github

Sunrise is a super simple website that uses open data APIs to display the sunrise time in your local timezone. Sunrise demonstrates how to use HTTP GET calls to open data APIs. First, the code calls the GeoIPLookup.io API to return latitude and longitude coordinates based on the caller's IP address. Next, it uses passes these coordinates as parameters in a call to the Sunrise-Sunset API. The Sunrise-Sunset API returns the UTC timestamp for the sunrise time. Lastly, sunrise converts UTC into local time. It uses some JS functions to do that, and some janky slice methods to output what we want to see.

phase ��

Github

The moon is pretty lit . But just how lit is it ? This simple one page site visually represents the current phase of the moon. I built it to demo an introductory example of practical API use cases. It's just a phase. phase calls the Farmsense API to display moon data. The Farmsense API is a free-to-use open API that returns useful moon phase and illumination data. After much research, it was the only free service I could find that returned the data I wanted. Given a unix timestamp, Farmsense returns information on the current moon phase, illumination percentage, and colloquial phase name. Depending on what the API returns, the script loads different images to reflect the current moon phase and illumination percentage. I also added a little bit of my own scientific interpretation on how lit the moon is.

��

Disclaimer

I built these projects to demo an introductory lesson on practical API use cases. As they are strictly demos they are not that great. Since Sunset and Sunrise depend on the caller's IP address, mobile use may return an incorrect time. Code is not elegant, it's just for sample purposes.

I Hunted PDF Generator API on Product Hunt

doerrfeldbill (Bill Doerrfeld) — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 19:23:45 GMT

PDF Generator API is now live on Product Hunt ! PDF Generator API is a flexible Web API and template editor for PDF generation. Using PDF Generator API, you can easily embed transactional PDF document creation into your application. It's got a drag-and-drop editor that taps into end-user data to make PDFs.

I admire APIs that do one thing and do it really well, and PDF Generator API epitomizes that idea. It's a business processing utility executed well by a solid team with years of experience focusing on a single idea: automating the PDF documentation generation process.

Review of PDF Generator API

What's The Use Case?

Many document-heavy business applications, like an eCommerce shop, accounting firm, or an ERP platform, need to generate PDFs for things like invoices, packing slips, contracts, and labels. The issue is that manual PDF creation is pretty tedious. So, a lot of these scenarios will create reusable templates. PDF Generator API is automating this process, helping avoid development duplication, and aiding in custom template creation.

Designing Templates

PDF Generator API offers an embeddable drag-and-drop editor so that end-users can design their own custom templates. Users choose how their data will be shown, within Text, Tables, Containers, and other fields, or you can generate standard Images and Footers to include in all your PDFs. Once you create a template, you merge them with your data by using the REST API to generate PDFs. You can upload a JSON file to try out using the editor without an integration.

Quality Developer Experience (DX) ✔️

When it comes to DX, PDF Generator API is following all the best practices. Onboarding is straightforward; simply sign up to instantly obtain an API key. Powered by Redoc , PDF Generator API boasts beautiful 3-columned API documentation that is really easy to navigate. Docs are auto-generated from a OpenAPI v3.0 spec. That's awesome, since using OpenAPI provides other abilities; they've added a Run in Postman button so you can test out API calls lickety-split. It's a RESTful API, so it's pretty easy to follow.

Developer Resources

PDF Generator API excels at appeasing many use cases. Docs come handy with copy and pastable code samples in PHP, Python, Java, Ruby, and other languages & frameworks. You can also view JSON responses and error messages for any function.

Accounts & Pricing

PDF Generator API offers a pretty generous free account, allowing up to 500 merges per month. Beyond that, you can check out their pricing plans.

Sample Invoice Creation Using PDF Generator API: eCommerce SaaS

To see how PDF Generator API works in action, let's consider how a business would use it to streamline PDF creation. Say our company is a document-heavy business, like an eCommerce SaaS. The eCommerce SaaS enables users to send invoices to end customers on a monthly basis.

Our users require custom designs for PDF invoices to match their storefront branding and to display up-to-date information. However, fulfilling their needs through development cycle is expensive. The eCommerce SaaS wants to avoid extra costs from developers and support so that the customer themselves can build their templates.

The goal is to create a reusable, automated process to generate PDFs on a large scale, while allowing for customization. First, we design a PDF template using drag-and-drop widgets. These include text fields, columns, images, QR codes, and more. We can customize color and fonts to match our company brand. You can view an active demo template here .

Next, we insert data fields by choosing which property to display and where. For example, one text box uses the {invoice_date} field to display the date. {invoice_number} is used to insert the invoice number. Multiple fields can be inserted in the same text box. Such as the following company information:

{company}

{address1}

{city}

You can even write in expressions to accumulate sums. In this case, the expression ${% sum({line_items::total_cost}) %} calculates the total cost of good and services. Once the template is finished, to create a PDF we must merge the template with an API request that sends JSON formatted with the identical field names. We make an API request to the base URL endpoint https://us1.pdfgeneratorapi.com/api/v3 with our API key.

To demonstrate, here is some sample JSON which would be sent with the API request:

{ "invoice_number": "4698018857", "phone_number": "(978) 555-7555", "email_id": "johnmiller@pdfgeneratorapi.com", "name": "John Miller", "logo": "https://www.onlinelogomaker.com/images/tutorialnew/tutorial.jpg", "customer_memo": "Thank you for your business and have a great day!", "period": "July period", "invoice_date": "2019-08-03", "address1": "2 Maple St", "phone": null, "city": "New Milford", "zip": "18834-2014", "province": "Pennsylvania", "country": "United States", "last_name": "LeBron", "address2": null, "company": "ACME Company Inc", "credit": { "balance": 0.0 }, "line_items": [ { "total_cost": 182, "hours": 7, "fee": 12, "description": "DB Architecture", "note": "Database architecture focuses on the design, development and implementation." }, { "total_cost": 189, "hours": 9, "fee": 29, "description": "Analysis", "note": "Detailed examination of anything complex in order to understand its nature or to determine its essential features" }, { "total_cost": 175, "hours": 5, "fee": 15, "description": "Web scrapping", "note": "Web scraping, web harvesting, or web data extraction is data scraping used for extracting data from websites" }, { "total_cost": 160, "hours": 8, "fee": 10, "description": "Web design", "note": "Responsible for creating the design and layout of a website or web pages" } ] }

On the client-side, you could export a PDF from the editor. Though, since it's API-driven, the exact process is super flexible. You could create a form to input this data, or hook into your CRM systems. The end result is a slick PDF to send to our client! PDF Generator API can also generate an HTML version to reduce file size and bloat. You can view a sample HTML version here .

Authenticating.com API Experience Review

Sun, 10 May 2020 06:50:52 GMT

I was recently tasked to audit the Developer Experience of the Authenticating.com APIs , a suite of low code APIs for developers to add trust and safety to their applications.

My goal was to provide actionable insights to improve the DX and marketability of the service. The project culminated in a 14 page report and 1-1 consultation.

Overall, though I found developer experience hangups with Authenticating.com, the core service has strong market potential.

Certain API design incongruities were found while testing. Certain API calls didn't match documentation in practice. Error handling was inconsistent. No sandbox existed, no developer account dashboard was live, and doc design looked like a basic template. I also found endpoint naming inconsistencies, and other style issues.

My recommendations included standardizing API design and style elements, and improving documentation to be more explicit for more use cases and circumstances. I recommended adding an OpenAPI specification as a source of truth, and a sandbox for API testing.

As the API landscape grows, developer experience is becoming more of a top concern, especially for newcomers trying to get a foothold in the market. I really enjoyed this project and hope to do more developer experience reviews in the future!

Emaww.ai API Finds Emotion From Touch

Sun, 10 May 2020 06:50:51 GMT

Emaww.ai is perhaps one of the most exciting API related projects I have come across throughout my research into the field. The AI computes emotional intelligence from touch and swipes on devices.

In fact, the website you are viewing is using it! Emaww.a cleverly can detect 4 basic emotional states: Awe, Interest, Dislike, and Scurry. The project is headed by academic Alicia Heraz, who has been keeping me updated on their progress.

Back in late 2015, I researched and wrote a comprehensive list of Emotion Recognition APIs . It was so thorough that PepsiCo enlisted me to help inform their innovation division through a consulting sprint.

Since then, I have been keeping a careful eye on this field, as I find it fascinating. For years, emotion recognition software has relied on intrusive facial and voice recognition. I believe that touch is a better, less-intrusive alternative, with many potential marketing, medical, and financial use cases.