Companies have wholeheartedly embraced APIs as a way to expose business capabilities to both external and internal developers. APIs promise the ability to experiment quickly with new business ideas by recombining core capabilities. But what differentiates an API from an ordinary enterprise integration service? One difference lies in treating APIs as a product , even when the consumer is an internal system or fellow developer. Teams that build APIs should understand the needs of their customers and make the product compelling to them. Usability testing and UX research can lead to a better design and understanding of the API usage patterns and help bring a product mindset to APIs. APIs, like products, should be actively maintained and supported, and, easy to use. They should have an owner who advocates for the customer and strives for continual improvement. In our experience, product orientation is the missing ingredient that makes the difference between ordinary enterprise integration and an agile business built on a platform of APIs.
Businesses have wholeheartedly embraced APIs as a way to expose business capabilities to both external and internal developers. APIs promise the ability to experiment quickly with new business ideas by recombining core capabilities. But what differentiates an API from an ordinary enterprise integration service? One difference lies in treating APIs as a product , even when the consumer is an internal system. Teams that build APIs should understand the needs of their customers and make the product compelling to them. Products are also improved, maintained and supported over the long term. They should have an owner who advocates for the customer and strives for continual improvement. Products are actively maintained and supported, easy to find and easy to use. In our experience, a product orientation is the missing ingredient that makes the difference between ordinary enterprise integration and an agile business built on a platform of APIs.
