Jean Yang, head of product and observability at Postman, discusses the misalignment between academia and practical software development. They explore the challenges faced by developers in implementing academic concepts and the realities of developer experience for the majority. They also discuss the importance of user research in tool design and the evolution of programming towards debugging and maintaining complex systems.

In this discussion, Jean Yang, founder of Akita Software and now with Postman, dives into the crucial role of APIs in software development. She highlights the common struggles developers face due to inadequate tools for dealing with APIs. The conversation also tackles debugging challenges, the evolution of API observability, and why smaller developers often get left behind by tools designed for big companies. Yang calls for a rethinking of how APIs are integrated and monitored, stressing the importance of understanding user needs in the rapidly changing tech landscape.

Jean Yang, a researcher on programming languages and founder of Akita Software, discusses the importance of APIs in software systems and the lack of developer tools to handle and comprehend them. She also talks about joining Postman and building the product based on user needs, as well as the concept of API observability and its relationship with programming languages. The podcast also touches on the impact of APIs on organizations and the collaboration with Breakmaster Cylinder in producing albums.