Feature flags, dark launches, and canary releases for all: LaunchDarkly first year in review

In 2014, John and the author started working full-time on LaunchDarkly, a platform for feature flags, dark launches, canary releases, and continuous deployment. The idea was inspired by how companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, Etsy, and Netflix were rapidly iterating their software and releasing multiple times per day or hour directly to users. Feature flags and dark launching have been adopted by various large companies such as Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram. However, not all businesses could afford the infrastructure for these practices. LaunchDarkly aimed to provide this capability as a service at an affordable cost. Since its inception, the platform has gained customers, added engineers, and hosted its first Dark Launch meetup. The focus now is on continuous improvement and customer feedback.