The problem
Plaid was preparing for three major product launches that would increase API traffic by an order of magnitude. The existing infrastructure was stable but not designed for that kind of growth. Rate limiting, database connection pooling, and service discovery all needed to be rethought before the launches.
Our approach
Over nine months, we rearchitected the API gateway, introduced adaptive rate limiting, and migrated the connection pooling layer to a new system that could scale horizontally. We also built a load testing framework that could simulate production-level traffic patterns, allowing the team to validate changes before they hit production.
Results
All three product launches went smoothly with zero downtime. The API layer handled 10x the previous peak traffic with headroom to spare. The new rate limiting system reduced abuse-related incidents by 80%, and the load testing framework became a permanent part of Plaid’s release process.
“We needed senior engineers who could hit the ground running. Exitech delivered — they were productive from week one.”