OpenRouter
Intermediate2+ years experienceAI/ML
Solid understanding with practical experience in multiple projects
My Experience
Unified API gateway for accessing multiple LLM providers. Experienced in building multi-model evaluation systems and LLM benchmarking platforms.
Technical Deep Dive
Core Concepts I'm Proficient In:
• Multi-Model Access: Routing requests to 10+ LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, etc.) through unified API
• Model Selection: Programmatic model selection and comparison for benchmarking and evaluation use cases
• Vercel AI SDK Integration: Leveraging Vercel AI SDK for streamlined OpenRouter integration and type-safe API calls
• Cost Optimization: Understanding pricing across different providers for cost-effective model selection
• Rate Limiting: Implementing rate limiting and timeout handling to manage long-running model requests
• Failover Handling: Designing failover strategies that cancel problematic runs without blocking other models
Advanced OpenRouter Implementation Patterns:
• Async Pipeline Architecture: Running concurrent LLM evaluations using async patterns for parallel model execution
• Live Progress Streaming: Implementing real-time progress updates using Server-Sent Events so users see benchmark results as they complete
• Vercel AI SDK Benefits: Using Vercel AI SDK to simplify OpenRouter integration with type safety and consistent error handling
• Timeout Management: Setting per-model timeouts to prevent slow models from blocking benchmark completion
• Result Collection: Aggregating structured responses from multiple models for accuracy comparison and analysis
• User-Facing Comparison: Displaying concurrent model outputs side-by-side for immediate quality comparison
Complex Problem-Solving Examples:
CustomBench Concurrent Evaluation System:
Built a comprehensive LLM benchmarking platform using OpenRouter that enables simultaneous testing of 10+ models per benchmark run. Leveraged Vercel AI SDK to simplify OpenRouter integration, providing type-safe API calls and consistent error handling across different model providers. Implemented async pipeline architecture where each model runs in parallel - users see live progress updates via Server-Sent Events as models complete, with results appearing in real-time rather than waiting for all models to finish. Designed rate limiting and timeout handling that cancels individual model runs if they exceed time thresholds (preventing one slow model from blocking the entire benchmark), while allowing other models to continue executing. The result is a responsive benchmarking experience where users can compare Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, and other models simultaneously with immediate feedback.
Model Comparison and Failover Strategy:
Engineered a robust comparison system that handles the variability of different LLM providers gracefully. Some models respond in seconds, others take minutes; some occasionally timeout or hit rate limits. Implemented failover logic that detects problematic runs (timeouts, API errors, rate limit hits) and cancels them without affecting other concurrent evaluations. Used OpenRouter's unified API to abstract away provider-specific quirks, enabling consistent handling of diverse models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others. The async pipeline collects structured results (model responses, accuracy verdicts, latency metrics) as they complete, enabling users to see partial results immediately and make decisions without waiting for slow or failed models.
Areas for Continued Growth:
• Advanced OpenRouter Features: Exploring OpenRouter's additional capabilities like model routing, fallback strategies, and cost optimization features
• Model Router Optimization: Learning techniques for intelligent model selection based on task type, cost constraints, and performance requirements
• Provider-Specific Features: Deepening understanding of unique capabilities across different providers accessible through OpenRouter
• Production Scaling: Mastering OpenRouter usage patterns for high-volume production applications with sophisticated rate limiting and cost management
Projects Using OpenRouter
2+ years
Experience
1
Projects
Intermediate
Proficiency