We just engaged with a large customer about their API usage, implementation, and strategy and there were some fascinating takeaways. This company saw the same issues that other smaller and medium sized businesses see with their API management. It isn't the technological expertise or time needed to create their API content.
The issue is 2 fold:
1. "Once we have content out there, how do I explain to someone how we will monetize this?"
- A monitization strategy is key to not only keep momentum going but acquire future resources in your company to develop future API's and innovate the ones you have now.
- The key is to establish clear metrics on what your API will deliver and what it will not and measure against that. Are you measuring audience, # of developers, API traffic, community traffic, etc?
- Also, you need to be able to fully communicate what your plan is for maintaining a successsful API community and tap into your external developers using your API's.
- The best innovation for your overall product can come from a larger network of developers taking your data and using it in ways you never thought of. You are essentially receiving free innovation.
2. "How do we manage handling our API strategy moving forward?"
- Every company has unique content to deliver. The key is to understand how developers might use your data and deliver your API focusing on those needs. The most powerful and most widely used content in API's was developed by specifically targetting how developers would use it. Ask the question, "How will they use my data?" If you cannot see a use for your content, it's perfectly acceptable to not publish it externally.
The bottom line is we have discovered in our observations of all different sized companies that the struggle isn't creating content. The struggle is creating relevant content and engaging a whole new audience consisting of developers.