Releasing a new feature is often like roulette. The outcomes could yield great results and rewards, but the odds are quite risky. Hitting on your first attempt is rare, as Airbnb states that 92% of their A/B tests failed to enhance key metrics.

Software delivery is all about controlling risk and mitigating downside. What distinguishes innovative companies like Airbnb is their ability to fail fast, gather feedback, and adapt to customer needs. This requires releasing features to segments of users without affecting the entire base. Doing so provides a crystal ball into what users actually want. It's like placing your bet once the ball has settled on the table.

Feature management helps you get there. It equips everyone involved in a product launch -- engineering teams, product managers, SREs, and anyone invested in its success -- with the tools to ensure features are released gradually and with more control.

The result? Reduced risk, improved platform stability, and faster feedback to keep things moving efficiently.

This blog explores how CloudBees Feature Management offers a powerful solution by decoupling release from deployment. This allows teams to iterate quickly, experiment safely, and improve collaboration across teams.

In this insider's guide, we'll explore how feature management transforms workflows for key stakeholders, the tangible benefits it delivers, and why now is the perfect time to embrace it.

The race to roll out new features often tempts companies to cut corners, especially with testing. But look at recent vulnerability incidents -- they're a clear reminder of what can go wrong when speed takes priority over safety.

Your customers depend on your platform to stay online and secure. Rushing releases without thorough testing can lead to stability issues, frustrated users, and a dent in your reputation. Taking the time to test properly isn't just good practice -- it's essential for maintaining trust and reliability.

That's why feature management is like having a remote control for your software development process. It lets teams decide which features are visible, who gets to see them, and when they roll out -- all without needing to touch the code or redeploy the application.

This is possible through feature flags (or feature toggles), which act as switches to turn features on or off during runtime.

Feature management gives teams unparalleled control over their releases with:

For companies under pressure to innovate quickly, feature management helps mitigate this risk by enabling controlled, gradual feature rollouts and rigorous testing, ensuring that speed doesn't compromise stability.

Homegrown feature flag systems may seem appealing, but they often become a source of technical debt, draining resources and limiting team agility.

A robust feature management solution streamlines processes, enhances tracking, and fosters collaboration -- allowing teams to focus on experimentation rather than maintaining complex, custom-built systems.

There are many options for feature flag management, but how do they measure up to the pressure of complex enterprise software delivery environments?

CloudBees stands out in this regard, offering the unique ability to integrate feature flags directly into a CI/CD workflow engine. This integration enhances automation and simplifies the entire software delivery pipeline, something not all feature flag vendors can provide.

With CloudBees Feature Management (FM), engineering and product teams can quickly test, iterate, and improve their applications in real-world environments. Experimenting in production speeds up feedback loops and fosters collaboration between teams.

Whether you're testing features with beta users, rolling out updates gradually, or running A/B tests to refine customer experiences, feature management is your go-to strategy for delivering software confidently.

At CloudBees, we don't just develop feature management solutions -- we use them every day. From beta testing internal features to managing premium feature access, CloudBees Feature Management is integral to the broader platform strategy. This approach ensures that our solutions are battle-tested and tailored to real-world needs.

Unlike standalone feature flagging tools, CloudBees Feature Management is deeply integrated into the CloudBees Platform's CI/CD workflows. This integration allows teams to manage feature flags alongside deployments, improving efficiency and alignment across the development lifecycle.

CloudBees Feature Management doesn't just enhance individual features; it improves the entire platform. By enabling controlled rollouts and iterative experimentation, we continuously refine our offerings and deliver value to customers.

CloudBees Product Managers, Engineering Managers/AppDev teams, and Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) have experienced firsthand how feature management makes their lives easier.

Let's explore how each role benefits from this approach.

For product managers like Elliott Landon, rapid experimentation is essential. Their role hinges on understanding user needs, iterating on solutions, and aligning feature development with business goals.

Elliott leverages feature management to run controlled experiments and gather data on user interactions. By decoupling releases from deployments, product managers can test features with small user groups, refine based on feedback, and ensure production readiness before scaling.

This approach also streamlines collaboration with engineering teams, ensuring feature flags are properly configured and aligned with the product roadmap. With Feature Management, product managers can confidently build roadmaps informed by real-world user insights.

Engineering managers like Kristin Whetstone Cain are under constant pressure to deliver innovation at scale while ensuring stability and quality.

Feature flags empower Kristin and her team to deploy code to production without immediately exposing it to users. This "dark launching" capability enables engineers to test in live environments while retaining the option to roll back if issues arise.

Configuration as Code (CasC) ensures that feature flags are integrated directly into workflows, further enhancing productivity. Kristin also appreciates the "kill switch" feature, which allows her team to disable problematic features instantly, reducing downtime and mitigating risks.

Maintaining application stability, performance, and security is paramount for SRE leads like Drew Buckman.

Feature flags give SRE teams granular control over which users see new features and when. This capability reduces the blast radius of potential issues and ensures smoother rollouts. Drew relies on lifecycle management tools within CloudBees Feature Management to track flag usage and automate cleanup, preventing technical debt from accumulating.

Best practices such as defining clear flag ownership and conducting regular audits are central to Drew's strategy. By integrating Feature Management with existing analytics tools, SREs can monitor flag performance and optimize rollouts based on user data.

Feature management isn't just about deploying features -- it's about delivering value. If you're ready to scale your innovation while minimizing risk, CloudBees Feature Management is here to help.

Try for free to see how feature management can revolutionize your development process and elevate your platform experience.