No, we’re NOT abandoning Federation. We’re taking it to the next level.
This week on The Good Thing podcast, Stefan Avram (CCO) and Jens Neuse (CEO) break down how Federation reshapes collaboration, scales developer velocity, and sets the stage for the next era of intelligent systems.
From GraphQL to REST, gRPC, and beyond, they explain why a “Federation Layer” is now essential infrastructure for modern engineering teams.
We’ll start with the basics: what Federation actually is, what problems it solves, and why it’s central to WunderGraph’s vision, before diving deep into how we’re evolving the model with the Entity Layer and Cosmo Connect.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
Federation 101: The Big Picture
We set the record straight: Federation isn’t dead, it’s just misunderstood. We’ll deep-dive into why Federation remains core to WunderGraph’s roadmap. Expect a brutally honest look at how the shift from monoliths to supergraphs changes how teams build, deploy, and ship software, and why Federation should be about connecting people, not just services.
The Entity Layer: The Real Magic
Jens explains why this layer is the biggest leap forward since the birth of GraphQL Federation. We unpack how the Entity Layer gives LLMs real business context, why it’s the missing link between human collaboration and machine intelligence, and how it redefines what “federated” even means.
Cosmo Connect and the Future of Federation
Forget GraphQL-only Federation: the future speaks gRPC. Stefan and Jens dive into why they’re betting big on multi-protocol Federation, and why clinging to GraphQL as the only solution limits innovation. We’ll explore how Cosmo Connect unifies REST, SOAP, and gRPC into one Federated model, and why that’s essential for modern, AI-ready architectures.
AI Meets Federation: From Toy Projects to Real Systems
Everyone’s talking about LLMs, but few know how to make them production-ready. We’ll break down how Federation gives AI systems context, consistency, and governance, stopping them from becoming just another demo project.
Rebuilding Federation from Scratch
If we could burn down Federation and rebuild it tomorrow, what would stay, and what would go? The hosts share candid lessons from years in the trenches, what the community gets wrong, and how Federation 2.0 (and beyond) will look when built with people, not protocols, in mind.
If you’re building APIs, running microservices, or exploring AI-ready architecture, this isn’t a tutorial. It’s a manifesto for what’s next.
Join us in the live chat or in the comments! We’d love to hear:
How is your team approaching Federation today?
Is GraphQL still central, or are you going multi-protocol?
If you’re averse to adopting Federation, why?
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Chapter Markers
00:00:00 What this episode is about
00:02:52 Why WunderGraph is all-in on Federation
00:05:02 The Working Group
00:07:47 eBay partnership and real-world Federation problems
00:09:58 Subgraph authorization
00:11:27 Semantic Non-Null and upcoming products
00:14:24 MCP, AI, and Federation as the backbone
00:21:22 What the Entity Layer is and why it matters
00:32:14 Why next-gen Federation speaks gRPC (Cosmo Connect)
00:43:14 Summit reactions: APM templates, operators, connectors
00:49:06 We’re hiring; retreats, meetups, and community plans
00:52:55 AI hype vs API fundamentals: founder perspective
00:57:22 Vertical AI + API design/governance strategy
01:03:11 Closing + what’s next
New episode every other week here and on YouTube (WunderGraph - Stefan & Jens)!
Watch this episode here: Responding to the Rumors
Visit us at wundergraph.com
