Open source is at a crossroads

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 .

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 . 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 If you want to keep up-to-date with API news and tips, follow the newsletter here . 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 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 . 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 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 . 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 Nordic APIs has a rolling call for speakers for our events. The submission form is here .

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:

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. 

How is AI evolving API management?

Calling all CIOs...

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.

Today I am thrilled to announce a major milestone update — v30.0! New features include: baby, house, dad responsibilities. This release is backward compatible with v2X.X but 1X.X is no longer supported.

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.