7. Architectural Best Practices with LoungeBuddy/AmEx

APIs Over IPAs

Jesscia Lam was the Chief Architect and VP Engineering at LoungeBuddy, which was acquired by American Express. At LoungeBuddy she designed their APIs, many of which continue to be in use today. As a CTO, architect and engineering lead at multiple companies, Jessica shares her experience on how to build products to be more resilient, why error handling is so important and how to treat internal APIs vs. external APIs. Specifically, we cover: • APIs are Concise Units of Value • Don’t Treat Internal APIs Differently • Simplify New APIs with a Traffic Controller • Build in Good Error Handling • Follow the 80-20 Rule for Testing • Minimize Technical Debt and Move Quickly