Introduction to APIs from a Business Perspective by Shafqat Islam, Founder and CEO, Newscred
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Transcript of Introduction to APIs from a Business Perspective by Shafqat Islam, Founder and CEO, Newscred
THE BUSINESS OF APIS
Shafqat Islam CEO NewsCred
ABOUT ME
• Cofounder and CEO of NewsCred • Creating a better Associated Press and
reinventing the newswire industry • Our core product is an API • I helping publishers build APIs • Contacts:
– [email protected] – @shafqatislam
♥
SYLLABUS
• Brief History/Background • Definition • Examples • The Business Case: Why Build an API • Getting Started • What Makes a Good API • Risks
HISTORY OF APIS
• Sears Catalogue (1886) – Getting closer to customers – Direct to Indirect Model – Going beyond the store
• RSS (1999) – Distributing underlying content to create and
enable new experiences
HISTORY OF APIS
• Ebay (2000) • Creating a symbiotic relationships with
developers to enlarge markets • Powering 60% of listings today
• APIs are how people get to your business
THE FIRST MASHUP • Housingmaps.com (Craiglist vs GMaps)
DEFINITION
• Application Programming Interface
• “a particular set of rules and specifications that a software program can follow to make use of the services and resources provided by the software program that creates that API.”
• Huh?
IT’S JUST AN INTERFACE
• A web site is a user interface between a human and a computer.
• An API is a programmable interface between two computers.
• Examples:
AUTOMATING WORKFLOWS
WHERETHELADIES.AT
AMAZON MECHANICAL TURK • Scaling crowd sourced tasks • Used during the Haiti Earthquake to save
lives
YOUR APPLICATION STACK
BUT WHAT ABOUT 3RD PARTY APPS AND SITES?
THE API LAYER
READ VS WRITE APIS
• Read APIs
• Write APIs
APIS BY CATEGORY
BUSINESS SEGMENTS
BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS
…YES YOU CAN
TECHNOLOGY • There are standards, so use REST • Use XML, JSON, oAUTH – nothing weird
WHY BUILD AN API?
• Distributed Growth • Syndication • Outsource Innovation • Decentralized Business Development • Reduce Costs • Branding • Revenues and New Business Models
DISTRIBUTED GROWTH
• 10x more traffic to the API than actual website
• “The API has been the most important thing we’ve done with Twitter.” – Biz Stone
GROWTH VIA ECOSYSTEM
SYNDICATION
• Syndicate content and data (archives?)
• Putting information in the hands of the public
• Drive links and traffic back
• Multi-platform and multiple form factors
WHERE DOES API TRAFFIC COME FROM?
OUTSOURCE INNOVATION
• Let others do the hard work
• New insights and re-imagination of what’s possible with your content and data
• Remember: saving lives in Haiti
EASY BIZDEV
APPLE – NYT
NO BIZDEV
3 TYPES OF APIS
• Public
• Partner
• Private
REDUCE COSTS
• Reduce Operational Costs – Internal development efficiencies across
business units – Speed up time to market – NPR API
• Facilitate Self Service Integration with Partners
BRANDING
• Spread your brand through the web and other channels – Twitter – Google Maps (300% growth versus
Mapquest’s 20% growth)
• Become an intrinsic part of the experience – New York Times & Guardian vis a vis news
BUSINESS MODEL
• Bake your business model into your API • Release early, monetize early • Treat it as a distribution channel for your
“core business” (Ebay) • Make money as an extension to your core
business model
BUSINESS MODELS
• Advertising
• Licensing – Tiered – Flat Fee
• Affiliate
BUSINESS MODEL EXAMPLES
GETTING STARTED
• Inventory of Assets: “Nouns” – Content – Listings – Products – Actions (Checkin, Tweet)
• Establish Goals – Read versus Read/Write – Transactions
“API FIRST” APPROACH
• Build your own site/product on top of API • Eat your own dogfood! • Single codebase • No additional work for a public API • Consistent behaviour • Full set of services exposed means more
innovation
ESTABLISH TARGET MARKET
• Establish who the API is for: – Developers – Business Partners – Internal Business Units – End users
ESTABLISH SUCCESS CRITERIA
In order of difficulty/value: • API Registrations • API calls • Business events (i.e. checkins, tweets) • Content distribution • User acquisition • Revenue
WHAT MAKES A GOOD API?
• The underlying service • The right business model • Simple, open and easy to get started • Choices • Developer support (they are your clients)
RISKS
• If you build it, no one comes • Scalability • Cannibalization • Legal challenges (rights) • Brand/reputational risk • Pricing
THE API JOURNEY
• Developing an effective API strategy is a journey, not a single project
• Invest in assets – API – Developer docs and community – Sample apps
• …then iterate on the long term strategy/ROI
THE TIME IS NOW
EXAMPLE: VISUALIZATIONS
EXAMPLE: MOBILE APP
EXAMPLE: LOGIN SYSTEMS