From Feature Flags to AI Runtime Control: The LaunchDarkly Story

From Feature Flags to AI Runtime Control: The LaunchDarkly Story

From ProductLed Podcast by Wes Bush

April 9, 2026 · 34 min · Episode 301

About this episode

Edith Harbaugh discusses the evolution of feature management and its importance in modern software delivery.

In this episode of the ProductLed Podcast, Wes Bush and Esben Friis-Jensen sit down with Edith Harbaugh, CEO and co-founder of LaunchDarkly, the feature management platform used by more than 5,000 customers, including 25% of the Fortune 500. Edith shares how her experience at TripIt led to the insight behind LaunchDarkly, and why feature management became such a critical part of modern software delivery. She explains what it actually took to create a category in the early days, when many companies were still shipping software only a few times a year, and why listening to customer pain mattered more than trying to force a new movement on the market. The conversation also dives into LaunchDarkly’s unusual balance of product-led and enterprise sales, why the company kept its free tier even as it grew upmarket, and the story behind its first real enterprise deal. Edith also opens up about returning as CEO, how AI is reshaping software delivery, and why she now sees LaunchDarkly as runtime control for the AI era. One of the biggest themes throughout the episode is Edith’s leadership philosophy: work should be fun. For her, that means helping teams reduce toil, build better software…

People in this episode

Host: Wes Bush

Guest: Edith Harbaugh

Topics covered

  • feature management
  • software delivery
  • AI
  • leadership

Keywords

  • LaunchDarkly
  • enterprise sales
  • customer pain
  • runtime control

Mentioned in this episode

Products: LaunchDarkly

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