“In API Platform, personalized operations are essential”, our interview with Hubert and Jérémy

Grégoire Thelliez: Where did the idea for your topic come from?

Jérémy Jarrié: Our topic [custom operations in API Platform] is a mechanism we use in a specific project. It’s not documented yet, and only a few people know about it.

Hubert Lenoir: We chose this topic because we worked on it together, and it's a promising aspect of API Platform. In the workings of API Platform, it's something essential, really central. So, we have the opportunity to talk more about it and show how it can be extended, as the plan is to expand it.

JJ: We illustrated our topic with a practical case. We start with the simplest solution and move towards the ultimate one. The latter is the most difficult and least known.

GT: Did you enjoy speaking at API Platform Con?

JJ: Honestly, I was stressed! For someone like me, who’s not used to public speaking, it's not easy. I really felt it because there were two phases.

First, the presentation part, where I was very nervous. It was even hard to speak. Then, the Q&A session was easier because it was less personal; I was already more relaxed and had no trouble answering the questions.

GT: How was it speaking as a duo?

JJ: I think I would have had a breakdown if I had presented alone.

GT: Hubert, you're used to giving talks: how did you feel this time?

HL: On one hand, I’d say I wasn’t nervous enough, maybe too relaxed. It’s fun to speak at a tech conference. You don’t have to overthink the topic. On the other hand, it was my first time speaking as a duo. I’m relieved it went pretty well.

JJ: There was a funny moment when I was so focused on what you were saying. I was following the slides more. At one point, I felt you calling once, then twice, to move to the next slide.

HL: Oh yes, that’s right, I was almost about to snap my fingers.

GT: What are your tips for becoming a speaker?

JJ: Start preparing your talk early. And just talk about things that genuinely interest you. That will motivate you the most.

HL: Usually, it’s easier to start with a topic you deal with in your daily life. Don’t be afraid, there’s no such thing as a dumb topic. You might think, “Yeah, this seems simple...,” but it won’t be simple for everyone. I recommend finding a topic early and not doing it at the last minute.

A good piece of advice is to work on your topic step by step. If it comes from a project you’re developing, you’ll generally know your project well, and that helps. We have clear evidence: Jeremy felt much more comfortable in the Q&A session. Because he was talking about something he knows.

JJ: Yes, and it was practical. I’m more into practice than theory.

GT: What is SensioLabs' expertise in API Platform?

JJ: I don’t know exactly how many projects use API Platform. I worked on a big development project for a CAC40 client. We implemented API Platform several times in that project. In fact, two critical APIs are powered by API Platform. This development project has now been in production for 3-4 years, so I feel pretty comfortable with this technology.

HL: We have experience managing APIs in complex projects. Also, in the project Jeremy just mentioned, using two APIs with API Platform never caused us any problems. For another project, we implemented API Platform to create an API bundle. In the architecture, we also have smaller API points for auto-completion, sorting, and a small Ajax call that doesn’t use API Platform. API Platform isn’t mandatory in our development projects: it comes naturally. We often implement this technology because it works well in most use cases.

GT: Thank you, and see you at the next conference!

Thank you, Hubert and Jeremy, for sharing your experiences, and congratulations on your talk!