I believe that Engineering is possibly the biggest enabler of the monetization or commercial proposition of an API Marketplace. To many technically inclined individuals, this may seem oxymoronic as the realms are at the opposite ends of the spectrum.
Allow me to present this argument in the context of building a new passenger airplane. If the Engineering team focuses purely on speed, performance, and technology, it will undoubtedly be fast and technically sound. There are a number of other factors to consider ...