treat your api like a product

APIs need product managers

Treating your API like a product

@OAuth_io @Philocrate

You know how to make products. Right?

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

If so, you can manage APIs.

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Here’s why

1- APIs are products 2- Sell a product rather than service 3- How to turn an API into a product

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

My name is ....

title

twitter handler / email

I've studied philosophy but my head ended up in the cloud.

!CMO @OAuth_io

Follow me @Philocrate

About Me

@OAuth_io

@OAuth_io @Philocrate

1- API = Product

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

“An API is a medium"

Just a tool to deliver software?

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

S3, EC2, Mailjet, Twilio… Not just a way to deliver.

APIs are products

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

The can is the product

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

How did APIs become so popular?

Because these are products.

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Made APIs popular: EC2, S3, SES…

Productization started in 2006

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Wait. “API productization?”

It sounds like another buzzword but...

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Building products

That’s what they do

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Before productization (SOA)

Internal: Only potential

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

After productization (API)

External: Usable

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Productization is vital

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

To sell

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

= extract killer features from a particular medium, to turn it into a

usable, marketable product.

What Bezos / Jobs did

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Bezos didn’t invent REST, Jobs didn’t invent touch-screens.

Product Management Is Key

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Hum. Sceptic?

Not convinced?

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Know this startup?

= 100% API-driven

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Know this guy?

Ex Product Manager @Amazon

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

API Veterans

@OAuth_io @Philocrate

2- Sell a product, not a service

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Back to classic definitions

Still valid?

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

= Physical Good

Product

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

= Immaterial

Service

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Pay attention to the “as a.”

Careful with "SaaS"

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“As a service” means you are selling a product, not a service

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

“SaaS”, “Web Service”...

= Business Model / Tech Notion

= “Get the advantages of a product, but consume it like a service.”

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“As a"

Not owned, BUT “Always on” (utility computing)

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Products are consistent while services are not.

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Not convinced?

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

“Products”

YOU pick them.

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

“Services”

THEY perform.

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Consistency VS uncertainty

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Companies want to deliver products, not

services.

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

#1 HR

Service = you depend on the people

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“Your most valuable assets walk in and out of the door every day.”

!

A Service Company

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

#2 Marketing

A product is easier to sell

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

“To create a service business you can sell, do whatever you can to make your

business have a product and a formula that predictably delivers results.”

!

David Ogilvy

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#3 Profitability

Services don’t scale Less service = Higher gross margin

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

“Our API product doesn’t have this feature. But we will sell service and

customize a plugin for this ONE client." !

A CEO who doesn’t get SaaS

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#4 Efficient Sales

Here

NOT here

The buyer can play with the product

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#5 Production

Scalability is… possible

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MUST be products

Bottom line:

@OAuth_io @Philocrate

3- Turning your service into a

product

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Again

(I don’t own stocks)

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

1- Name it2- Package it3- Write instructions4- Words of caution5- Barcode it6- Copywrite it

Follow the recipe:

Let’s try with an API?

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

1- Name it2- Package it3- Write instructions4- Words of caution5- Barcode it6- Copywrite it

‣Oauth.io‣APIs

‣API Doc‣Terms of Use

‣SaaS‣Licensed

How it works

Thanks P&G!

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@Philocrate@OAuth_io

The API Product Manager makes the magic happen

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Founded in 2013 About 5000 apps

!Twitter @oauth_io

About OAuth.io

@OAuth_io

@Philocrate@OAuth_io

Questions?

elie.li oauth.io

speakerdeck.com/elie

@OAuth_io