Pybites Podcast #160 - Unpacking Pydantic's Growth and the Launch of Logfire with Samuel Colvin
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May 3, 2024 
In this discussion, Samuel Colvin, the mastermind behind Pydantic, shares the library's exciting evolution from a side project to an essential tool in Python's ecosystem. He highlights the groundbreaking performance improvements in version 2 through Rust integration. Samuel introduces Logfire, a new logging tool that enhances development processes with advanced observability features. He also touches on the importance of merging Python with JavaScript through his FastUI library, all while balancing open-source principles with the demands of running a business.
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Pydantic's Surprising Growth
- Samuel Colvin started Pydantic in 2017 as a side project to parse HTTP headers using type hints at runtime.
- Unexpectedly, it grew massively to nearly 180 million downloads per month by 2023, far beyond his initial expectations.
FastAPI Boosted Pydantic Adoption
- FastAPI contributes about 20% of Pydantic's downloads by introducing many users to it.
- Users then adopt Pydantic beyond the API context, spreading its usage widely.
Standards Enhance Ecosystem Integration
- JSON Schema support was added to Pydantic V1 to align with standards, improving its ecosystem compatibility.
- Standards like type hints and JSON Schema gain renewed importance due to advancements in AI and generative models.