Tips for Building an API Program

A great API program is not created by accident. This presentation looks beyond the code and lays out a framework for building an API program that delivers superior value.

Transcript

1. API Program How to Build an
2. Most companies create their API! Program…
3. Completely by Accident
4. Web App Browser Client A project comes along…
5. Web App Browser Client …and creates an API. API
6. Then more projects come along… API API API API API API …and they create APIs
7. The APIs are inconsistent
8. Problems like caching and security are solved multiple times in multiple ways
9. This approach usually doesn’t end very well
10. There is a BET T ER WAY
11. 1 step Figure out if you actually need APIs (maybe you don’t!)* *you do
12. Do you need to support a wide range of devices?
13. Do you need to connect services in the cloud?
14. Could your company increase revenue by monetizing its digital assets?
15. 2 step Figure out who will be using your APIs (and why)
16. Application Developers Internal External Partners Employees & Contractors Non-affiliated Developers Formal Relationship
17. Who are they building apps for?
18. Three common app users Customers Partners Employees
19. 3 step Create API guidelines that make it easy to build Apps
20. The App Developer WISH LIST
21. A LOT of companies have already built really good APIs!
22. Wish #1: Follow their Lead!
23. Learn from APIs that have intuitive URI and Response Structures
24. Wish #2: Write good documentation
25. Using this Template
26. Wish #3: Provide support
27. Communicate with Developers Social Media Improves communication and increases visibility of public API programs. Forums Blogs Provide a place to publish news and make API program announcements. Allow developers to troubleshoot problems more easily.
28. Wish #4: Provide analytics
29. Reports Allow developers to track API usage and understand their users better. Analytics Provide additional value to developers and keep your community engaged. Analytics
30. 4 step Simplify API development using an API! Gateway
31. “Simplicity - the art of maximizing the amount of work not done - is essential.” ! - The Agile Manifesto
32. more meaningful security version ing business functionality data analytics transfor mation relative effort to build caching traffic management Creating an API
33. more meaningful security version ing business functionality data analytics transfor mation built by API developers caching traffic management Value of an API Gateway provided by gateway
34. 5 step Use analytics to Maximize! Value
35. “We simply have too much time and budget to complete this project” - no one ever
36. API features store locator product search find product in store print photo in store
37. Expected feature usage store locator product search find product in store print photo in store
38. Actual feature usage store locator product search find product in store print photo in store
39. How much more successful would your project be if you could make these discoveries earlier?
40. closing in A successful API! Program…
41. Is no accident
42. 1 step Figure out if you actually need APIs (maybe you don’t!)* *you do 2 step Figure out who will be using your APIs (and why) 3 step Create API guidelines that make it easy to build Apps 4 step Simplify API development using an API! Gateway 5 step Use analytics to Maximize! Value These steps provide a guide