APIs: A Strategy Guide

Chapter 4. Crafting Your API Product Strategy

APIs should not be geeky “science projects.” They are critical business tools. Successful APIs need clear objectives that relate directly to business objectives and track closely to key performance indicators (KPIs) for the business at large.

Strategy can mean many different things. When it comes to APIs, it is reasonable to speak about business strategy, implementation strategy, technology strategy, operational strategy, and promotional strategy. This chapter focuses on business strategy and specifically on crafting your initial vision of how creating an API will actually help achieve business goals. This chapter will answer the following questions:

• What is your business objective in creating an API?

• What is the vision for your API?

• What questions should be answered to create a comprehensive API strategy?

• What types of API strategies are being pursued?

• What objections should you be prepared to handle about APIs?

Establish a Clear Business Objective

First, and fundamentally, the key question to answer relates to exactly why you have decided to create an API to begin with.

What is the business purpose of the API? What are you trying to achieve? What problem are you trying to solve? What opportunity are you trying to take advantage of?

These are the fundamental business questions your strategy must answer, and they hearken back to an even more fundamental issue: your corporate vision statement and your vision for the API.

Have a Vision for Your API ...