The Power of the Pause Button: The Superpower of Feature Flags and the Future of Software Delivery
Releasing software doesn't have to feel like holding your breath and hoping for the best. Feature flags allow engineering teams to control what users see, when they see it, and how new features roll out, all without redeploying code.
This session will explore how feature flags impact the way teams build, test, and deliver software. It will focus on practical lessons from real-world teams using feature flags to experiment safely, manage risk, and create better user experiences.
Today, feature flags allow teams to break free from that pattern. They enable developers to ship code to production, keep features hidden until they are ready, test changes with small groups of users, and turn things off instantly if needed.
This session covers:
- What feature flags are and how they work
- Why they are a critical tool in modern release cycles
- Common use cases: A/B testing, canary releases, kill switches
- Mistakes to avoid when adopting them
- Best practices for scaling flag management across teams.
Vaishnavi Tirumani Venkata Subramaniam
Vaishnavi is not just a code wrangler but a creative problem solver, a software engineer passionate about working collaboratively and a champion for DEI, neurodiversity, and accessibility. She firmly believes that by breaking down silos and encouraging open communication, teams can achieve great things together. She understands the importance of creating empathetic products and services that can be used by people of all abilities and is constantly seeking ways to incorporate this mindset into her work.
She has saved withering codebases and refactored chunks of code to make it readable. Her passion lies in developing robust systems, enabling easy maintenance of codebases, refactoring to avoid redundancies, and eliminating code smells and anti-patterns. She is passionate about improving working methods and increasing business speed by accelerating value delivery and visual communication.
She is currently an ambassador for the Google WomenTechMaker(WTM) program , Drawify, Grammarly and Organizer of GDG Burnaby . She uses her female voice to promote representation in Product, User Experience, Neurodiversity, and Tech across all these platforms.
She uses her voice to talk about parenting, DEI, visual communication, overcoming burnout and impostor syndrome, strategic mentorship, and technology. She has spoken extensively in panels and conferences about how to manage a career and parenthood and be a trailblazer.
Her goal is to play a part in the betterment of women's careers, and the financial future is what drives her - putting more money into women's pockets.
She wants to leave her mark in this world by being instrumental in advancing and uplifting women of colour.