10x DevEx: Shift-Left API Governance = CycleTime/2

In today's digital landscape, APIs are the backbone of modern software applications, enabling seamless integration and data exchange between various systems and services. However, as the number of APIs continues to grow exponentially, managing their interop and governing their compliance becomes a critical challenge. Traditional API governance approaches are usually relying on manual processes and often lag behind development cycles, leading to release delays, inconsistencies, and increased technical debt. This real-world experience report will share a set of transformative strategies that helped us elevate our DevEx by an order of magnitude, while simultaneously helping us shorten our cycle times by 50%. We delve into the principles of "shift-left" API governance, a proactive approach that integrates governance early in the development cycle, ensuring faster, more secure, and compliant API integrations. By starting with a collaborative API Design first approach followed by contract testing in service provider's CI pipeline, teams can identify and mitigate risks sooner, streamline workflows, and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability and innovation. This helps them unlock unprecedented developer productivity and accelerate their release cycles. Key highlights of the talk include: * Exponential Improvement in DevEx: Learn how to enhance API development using industry-leading tools and processes that result in a 10x improvement in developer satisfaction and productivity. * Shift-Left Governance: Discover the mechanics of implementing shift-left practices in API governance, enabling earlier detection of integration issues, reduced rework, and accelerated time-to-market. * Halving Cycle Time: Uncover the strategic and technical adjustments necessary to reduce cycle times by 50%, transforming the speed at which products reach the market without compromising quality. * Real-World Applications: Gain insights from successful real world implementations where these principles have been applied, showcasing tangible outcomes and lessons learned. * Future-Proofing Your API Strategy: Equip yourself with the knowledge to not only improve current processes but also to adapt to future challenges and opportunities in API development. Join us for an enlightening session that promises not only to inspire but also to equip you with practical tools, practices and insights to revolutionize your API design, development and governance strategy. Whether you're a developer, a technical leader, or a product manager, this talk will provide valuable perspectives on enhancing DevEx, streamlining governance, and achieving remarkable efficiency gains.