When building applications, choosing the right 3rd party libraries can mean the difference between smooth sailing and a nightmare. With so many options available, how do you make smart choices that keep your codebase maintainable and your team productive?

In this session, we’ll explore four simple rules for choosing libraries: keeping things small, isolated, uncomplicated, and replaceable. You’ll learn how to evaluate libraries for quality, support, and longevity, avoid vendor lock-in, and design your applications to minimize risk if a dependency fails you.

Through real-world examples (both the good and the not-so-good), we’ll cover practical tips for maintaining flexibility, performance, and sanity while working with 3rd party tools.