The login failed. Then the server logs filled with noise, half of it unreadable. You had no idea if the request came from a trusted user or a stolen token. That’s when you realize: authentication is not the same as control. You can know who someone is. But can you decide, with certainty, what they can reach?
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) solves this problem. It stands between your users and your services, checking identity at the edge before a single packet reaches the backend. It enforces least privilege. It stops lateral movement. It makes sure only the right people hit the right endpoints.
But for too long, IAP has been a maze. You configure yet another identity provider. You write complex rules in a proprietary format. You deploy it, only to dig through vague error messages when it fails. You pivot through proxies, secrets managers, firewall rules, and service meshes. This is the opposite of good developer experience. This is complexity tax.
The best Identity-Aware Proxy developer experience starts with instant deployment. No endless YAML edits. No over-engineered policies. A single, human-readable control layer that works the first time. Every second between commit and working proxy matters. Every hidden dependency erodes trust. You need speed, clarity, and full visibility into authentication and authorization decisions.