The API Lifecycle
The API Lifecycle
An Agile Process For Managing the Life of an API
About the Book
Our fourth e-book, The API Lifecycle, presents an agile process for managing the life of an API - the secret sauce to help establish quality standards for all API and microservice providers. This knowledge informs one on how to excel their API, picturing a holistic model of the API as a business and product. From conception to deprecation, this resource outlines unique step-by-step instructions on market research, strategy, construction, promotion, and updating your API. Inspired by experienced API consultants Andreas Krohn and Travis Spencer, the API lifecycle diagram is an agile process for managing the life of an API and is composed of four distinct phases: Analysis, Development, Operations, and Retirement. Our e-book expands theses concepts, grounding theories in knowledge collected during our 2015 World Tour, events which brought API industry experts together to discuss different stages of the API Lifecycle. We also delved deeper into these ideas within our blog, interviewing leading web API figures, and performing additional research to create a comprehensive view of the Lifecycle for a commercialized web API.
*All proceeds from the sale of this eBook will be donated to the Salvation Army in Sweden.
About the Author
Bundles that include this book
About the Contributors
API Consultant, Dopter
Editor in Chief, Nordic APIs
API Technologist, RedboothHQ, API Changelog, APIUX.com
Web Developer, Nordic APIs Blogger
Table of Contents
-
- Preface
-
Envisioning The Entire API Lifecycle
-
Analysis Stage
-
Development Stage
-
Operations Stage
-
Retirement Stage
- Choose Your Adventure:
-
-
I Analysis Stage
-
1. Preparing Your API Business Strategy
- 1.1 Basic Things to Consider
- 1.2 Determine If An API Is Right For Your Specific Situation
- 1.3 Perform Market Research
- 1.4 Align Your API With Business Objectives
- 1.5 Select Your API Business Plan
-
2. Monetization Models
- 2.1 How Can You Measure If Your API Is Profitable?
- 2.2 API Monetization Trick #1: Charge Directly for an API, by Call or Subscription
- 2.3 API Monetization Trick #2: Using API Access As A Premium Upsell Opportunity
- 2.4 API Monetization Trick #3: Drive Revenue-Generating Activities Through Your API
- 2.5 API Monetization Trick #4: Increase Distribution Through Strategic Partners
- 2.6 API Monetization Trick #5: Improve Operational Efficiency and Decrease Time to Market
- 2.7 Mix, Match, Measure Models of API Monetization
- 2.8 Your API Monetization Checklist
-
3. Understandig Your Target API Consumer
- 3.1 A Response to Increased Consumer Diversity
- 3.2 Why Create a Developer “Persona”?
- 3.3 The Developer Brain
- 3.4 But Plenty of Other People Are Interested in APIs, Too!
- 3.5 Expanding our Portal: End User Evangelism
- 3.6 Varying Industry Backgrounds
- 3.7 API Use Cases
- 3.8 Lessen The Corporate Branding
- 3.9 Developer Experience
- 3.10 Build it And They Will _____
-
1. Preparing Your API Business Strategy
-
II Development Stage
-
4. Constructing Your API
- 4.1 Things to Consider During Implementation
- 4.2 API Management
- 4.3 Maintenance
-
5. 12 Design Tips
- 5.1 Summarizing API Design Tips
-
4. Constructing Your API
-
III Operations Stage
-
6. Marketing Your API
- 6.1 Running Your API As a Product
- 6.2 Marketing Your API
- 6.3 Using Different Traction Channels
- 6.4 Supporting Your API
-
7. The Importance of API Metrics
- 7.1 What Is Metric Analysis?
- 7.2 Metric Analysis Tools and Services
- 7.3 Example — The Tokyo Traffic Problem
- 7.4 The Traffic Problem Solution
- 7.5 The Traffic Problem and APIs
- 7.6 Metrics Throughout the Lifecycle
- 7.7 A Real-World Failure - Heartbleed
- 7.8 A Real-World Success - The FedEx ShipAPI
- 7.9 Security, Effectiveness, and Commerce
-
6. Marketing Your API
-
IV Retirement Stage
-
8. A History of Major Public API Retirements
- 8.1 What Does Retirement Mean?
- 8.2 Retirement Reason #1: Lack of 3rd Party Developer Innovation
- 8.3 Retirement Reason #2: Opposing Financial Incentive, Competition
- 8.4 Retirement Reason #3: Changes in Technology & Consolidating Internal Services
- 8.5 Retirement Reason #4: Versioning
- 8.6 Retirement Reason #5: Security Concern
-
9. Preparing For a Deprecation
- 9.1 Rippling Effects
- 9.2 Preparing For Developer Reaction
-
8. A History of Major Public API Retirements
-
V The Agile Mindset
-
10. What Makes an Agile API?
- 10.1 What is Agile?
- 10.2 Conclusion
- 11. Third Party Tools
- Nordic APIs Resources
- Endnotes
-
10. What Makes an Agile API?
The Leanpub 60-day 100% Happiness Guarantee
Within 60 days of purchase you can get a 100% refund on any Leanpub purchase, in two clicks.
See full terms
Do Well. Do Good.
Authors have earned$11,223,750writing, publishing and selling on Leanpub, earning 80% royalties while saving up to 25 million pounds of CO2 and up to 46,000 trees.
Learn more about writing on Leanpub
Free Updates. DRM Free.
If you buy a Leanpub book, you get free updates for as long as the author updates the book! Many authors use Leanpub to publish their books in-progress, while they are writing them. All readers get free updates, regardless of when they bought the book or how much they paid (including free).
Most Leanpub books are available in PDF (for computers), EPUB (for phones and tablets) and MOBI (for Kindle). The formats that a book includes are shown at the top right corner of this page.
Finally, Leanpub books don't have any DRM copy-protection nonsense, so you can easily read them on any supported device.
Learn more about Leanpub's ebook formats and where to read them
Top Books
- #1
OpenIntro Statistics
David Diez, Christopher Barr, Mine Cetinkaya-Rundel, and OpenIntroA complete foundation for Statistics, also serving as a foundation for Data Science.
Leanpub revenue supports OpenIntro (US-based nonprofit) so we can provide free desk copies to teachers interested in using OpenIntro Statistics in the classroom and expand the project to support free textbooks in other subjects.
More resources: openintro.org.
- #2
Everyday Rails - RSpecによるRailsテスト入門
Junichi Ito (伊藤淳一) and Aaron SumnerRSpecを使ってRailsアプリケーションに信頼性の高いテストを書く実践的なアドバイスを提供します。詳細で丁寧な説明は本書のオリジナルコンテンツです。また、説明には実際に動かせるサンプルアプリケーションも使用します。本書は2022年版にアップデートされ、Rails 7.0やRSpec Rails 5.0といった新しい環境に対応しています！さあ、自信をもってテストできるようになりましょう！
- #3
Concurrency with Modern C++
Rainer GrimmC++11 is the first C++ standard that deals with concurrency. The story goes on with C++17, C++20, and will continue with C++23.
I'll give you a detailed insight into the current and the upcoming concurrency in C++. This insight includes the theory and a lot of practice.
- #4
Ansible for DevOps
Jeff GeerlingAnsible is a simple, but powerful, server and configuration management tool. Learn to use Ansible effectively, whether you manage one server—or thousands.
- #5
C++20 - The Complete Guide
Nicolai M. JosuttisAll the new language and library features of C++20 (for those who know previous versions).
The book presents all new language and library features of C++20. Learn how this impacts day-to-day programming, to benefit in practice, to combine new features, and to avoid all new traps.
Buy early, pay less, free updates.
Other books:
- #6
Introducing EventStorming
Alberto BrandoliniThe deepest tutorial and explanation about EventStorming, straight from the inventor.
- #7
R Programming for Data Science
Roger D. PengThis book brings the fundamentals of R programming to you, using the same material developed as part of the industry-leading Johns Hopkins Data Science Specialization. The skills taught in this book will lay the foundation for you to begin your journey learning data science. Printed copies of this book are available through Lulu.
- #8
Understanding JavaScript Promises
Nicholas C. ZakasLearn all about JavaScript promises from veteran JavaScript author Nicholas C. Zakas.
- #9
Stratospheric
Tom Hombergs, Björn Wilmsmann, and Philip RiecksFrom Zero to Production with Spring Boot and AWS. All you need to know to get a Spring Boot application into production with AWS. No previous AWS knowledge required.
Go to stratospheric.dev for a tour of the contents.
- #10
Jetpack Compose internals
Jorge CastilloJetpack Compose is the future of Android UI. Master how it works internally and become a more efficient developer with it. You'll also find it valuable if you are not an Android dev. This book provides all the details to understand how the Compose compiler & runtime work, and how to create a client library using them.
Top Bundles
- #1
CCIE Service Provider Ultimate Study Bundle
2 Books
Piotr Jablonski, Lukasz Bromirski, and Nick Russo have joined forces to deliver the only CCIE Service Provider training resource you'll ever need. This bundle contains a detailed and challenging collection of workbook labs, plus an extensively detailed technical reference guide. All of us have earned the CCIE Service Provider certification... - #2
Software Architecture for Developers: Volumes 1 & 2 - Technical leadership and communication
2 Books
"Software Architecture for Developers" is a practical and pragmatic guide to modern, lightweight software architecture, specifically aimed at developers. You'll learn:The essence of software architecture.Why the software architecture role should include coding, coaching and collaboration.The things that you really need to think about before... - #4
Modern C++ Collection
3 Books
Get All about Modern C++C++ Standard Library, including C++20Concurrency with Modern C++, including C++20C++20Each book has about 200 complete code examples. Updates are included. When I update one of the books, you immediately get the updated bundle. You can expect significant updates to each new C++ standard (C++23, C++26, .. ) and also... - #6
The Python Craftsman
3 Books
The Python Craftsman series comprises The Python Apprentice, The Python Journeyman, and The Python Master. The first book is primarily suitable for for programmers with some experience of programming in another language. If you don't have any experience with programming this book may be a bit daunting. You'll be learning not just a programming... - #9
Linux Administration Complet
4 Books
Ce lot comprend les quatre volumes du Guide Linux Administration :Linux Administration, Volume 1, Administration fondamentale : Guide pratique de préparation aux examens de certification LPIC 1, Linux Essentials, RHCSA et LFCS. Administration fondamentale. Introduction à Linux. Le Shell. Traitement du texte. Arborescence de fichiers. Sécurité...
