Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
1–10 of 57 posts
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#2Hi HN! I’m the founder of WorkOS (https://workos.com)
We provide a developer API for making your app enterprise-ready. You can quickly add features including SSO/SAML, Director Sync (SCIM), Audit Logs, and more.
WorkOS is “Plaid for enterprise IT systems.”
I learned about these enterprise requirements the hard way. Previously, I founded Nylas where we built an email app called Nylas Mail. We couldn’t monetize that app and shut it down (RIP) and the main reason was that we couldn’t sell it to enterprise because it was missing features.
Here’s a short Twitter thread with more info about WorkOS: https://twitter.com/grinich/status/1239943470271188992
Best place to start is with the docs: http://docs.workos.com/
Would love to get your feedback, questions, and ideas. Thanks! :)
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#3Hi HN! I’m the founder of WorkOS ( https://workos.com ) We provide a developer API for making your app enterprise-ready. You can quickly add features including SSO/SAML, Director Sync (SCIM), Audit Logs, and more. WorkOS is “Plaid for enterprise IT systems.” I learned about these enterprise requirements the hard way. Previously, I founded Nylas where we built an email app called Nylas Mail. We couldn’t monetize that…
Very minor, really, but did you consider tiers something like Developer/Startup/Corporate, rather than Free/Developer/Corporate?
I just think surely every user (of yours) is a de facto developer, and really if that's all they are they only need the 'Free' tier until they start selling something (i.e. it's a business of some kind) and need the support.
Other words: (for free) MVP, Prototype, Concept; (for middle tier) Business, Starter.
But it looks nice, bookmarked as a 'solution I'd like to have the problem for' ;)
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#4Hi HN! I’m the founder of WorkOS ( https://workos.com ) We provide a developer API for making your app enterprise-ready. You can quickly add features including SSO/SAML, Director Sync (SCIM), Audit Logs, and more. WorkOS is “Plaid for enterprise IT systems.” I learned about these enterprise requirements the hard way. Previously, I founded Nylas where we built an email app called Nylas Mail. We couldn’t monetize that…
I'm just in the process of adding SSO to our iOS app and scratching my head trying to figure where to start....
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#5Hi HN! I’m the founder of WorkOS ( https://workos.com ) We provide a developer API for making your app enterprise-ready. You can quickly add features including SSO/SAML, Director Sync (SCIM), Audit Logs, and more. WorkOS is “Plaid for enterprise IT systems.” I learned about these enterprise requirements the hard way. Previously, I founded Nylas where we built an email app called Nylas Mail. We couldn’t monetize that…
I fully appreciate how difficult this is to do, but I think it would be immensely useful if WorkOS provided the docs that I (the SAML SP, your customer) provide to my customers who are setting up SAML (as an IdP) on their end.
One of the biggest pain points I've experienced with SAML is that people come to me asking for help, but only understanding their IdP; the only IdP I know how to use is Okta, and I don't have access to their IdP to test with.
I'd love it if WorkOS could give me documentation that I can give to my customers about how they can set up Okta/Azure ADFS/whatever with my product. I can edit those docs to account for idiosyncratic stuff my product does (e.g. requiring a particular SAML user attribute or format for user IDs).
Aside: the support burden of SAML is a big part of why the sso.tax exists. Nobody on the SP or IdP end knows how to set this stuff up!
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#6How does this compare / contrast to Auth0?
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#7Hi HN! I’m the founder of WorkOS ( https://workos.com ) We provide a developer API for making your app enterprise-ready. You can quickly add features including SSO/SAML, Director Sync (SCIM), Audit Logs, and more. WorkOS is “Plaid for enterprise IT systems.” I learned about these enterprise requirements the hard way. Previously, I founded Nylas where we built an email app called Nylas Mail. We couldn’t monetize that…
I fully appreciate how difficult this is to do, but I think it would be immensely useful if WorkOS provided the docs that I (the SAML SP, your customer) provide to my customers who are setting up SAML (as an IdP) on their end. One of the biggest pain points I've experienced with SAML is that people come to me asking for help, but only understanding their IdP; the only IdP I know how to use is Okta, and I don't have a…
Yep we're already looking at doing this with docs. :)
One thing to help with the SAML support is WorkOS.js. It's essentially an embeddable configuration flow, so you don't need to build the UI to collect x.509 certs, generate the ACS URL, etc. Similar architecture to "Plaid Link" so users never leave your app.
Docs here: https://docs.workos.com/sso/embed-workosjs
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#8Hi HN! I’m the founder of WorkOS ( https://workos.com ) We provide a developer API for making your app enterprise-ready. You can quickly add features including SSO/SAML, Director Sync (SCIM), Audit Logs, and more. WorkOS is “Plaid for enterprise IT systems.” I learned about these enterprise requirements the hard way. Previously, I founded Nylas where we built an email app called Nylas Mail. We couldn’t monetize that…
Very minor, really, but did you consider tiers something like Developer/Startup/Corporate, rather than Free/Developer/Corporate? I just think surely every user (of yours) is a de facto developer, and really if that's all they are they only need the 'Free' tier until they start selling something (i.e. it's a business of some kind) and need the support. Other words: (for free) MVP, Prototype, Concept; (for middle tier)…
Naming is one of those hard problems. :P
We're primarily targeted at developers but I found there's a lot of other people who care about enterprise features. For example, WorkOS allows a Head of Product to focus entirely on new end-user features and not build SAML config screens.
WorkOS is surprisingly popular with the VP Sales. They have no idea what SAML or SCIM means, but they know it's blocking big deals. WorkOS helps them unlock that revenue.
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#9Hi HN! I’m the founder of WorkOS ( https://workos.com ) We provide a developer API for making your app enterprise-ready. You can quickly add features including SSO/SAML, Director Sync (SCIM), Audit Logs, and more. WorkOS is “Plaid for enterprise IT systems.” I learned about these enterprise requirements the hard way. Previously, I founded Nylas where we built an email app called Nylas Mail. We couldn’t monetize that…
I'm just in the process of adding SSO to our iOS app and scratching my head trying to figure where to start....
This is a great place to start. (Plus it's free.)
Re: Show HN: WorkOS – APIs for enterprise features like SSO/SAML
#10How does this compare / contrast to Auth0?
Similar and different in some ways. Our SSO is free, which makes it a lot more accessible to startups and companies just beginning to go up-market.
We also provide a more generic abstraction than Auth0. They essentially "take over" your auth screens and show Auth0 UI. If you use WorkOS, it's not visible to your end-users and you can customize the sign-in experience how ever you want.