A guide on feature flags key concepts and how to use them.
A feature flag is a software development practice used to launch new features, without deploying new code. It decouples deployment lifecycle from product launches and allows software to be tested in production without impacting customers.
A feature flag is a control switch to turn on/off software experiences.
On our previous blog post we showcased a real-life scenario where Remote Flags can solve possible delay issues on e-commerce sales cycles, by allowing deploys and tests to be done beforehand and putting the control of the Sale Season start on the hand of the business, product or sales manager which, with a switch of a feature flag, is able to turn it on instantly.
In this scenario, we can clearly understand the advantages of using a feature flag to guarantee that a specific "go-live" is achieved at the expected moment without hiccups. But you might be thinking, "what if my development teams prepare a change, beforehand, that applies automatically at that specific time? Why would I need a feature flag?"
It is a widely known fact that technology has been a huge contributor to globalization and, also, to the fastest pace we have ever seen on almost every business type.
From weeks to negotiate and buy a car to a few minutes, few clicks to achieve the same goal, or a company having a couple of weeks instead of a couple of years to catch competition innovation before losing customers, being a step ahead of the competition or react in little time is crucial for achieving great results.