how to make sure developers never use your api
TRANSCRIPT
HOW TO MAKE SURE DEVELOPERS NEVER,
EVER USE YOUR API
A STUDY IN WORST PRACTICES
Carlo Longino
VP Developer Program Services
February 10, 2015
Developer Evangelist Summit
About WIP Factory
• The first B2D marketing
agency
• Strategic consulting and
outreach services
• API providers, platform
vendors, device makers,
developer programs of all
stripes© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.
© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.
Onboarding
• The process of getting a developer to use your
product or service
• Post-awareness, exploration, getting started,
learning, going live, using your stuff
• Ask a dev: “Sounds like waterboarding”
– Because too often, it is
Why is it so important?
• It’s crucial to minimize the
hurdles/obstacles/friction between getting
started and going live
• This is where you will lose the most developers
from your program
• It’s also something you have a lot of control
over!
If you don’t want developers to use
your API….
Weed out the ones who aren’t that
interested by making them work really,
really hard.
© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.
What does this API/product do?
• Don’t provide context
• Don’t explain things
• Force big downloads with unclear outcomes
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How much does it cost to use?
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How do I use it?
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If you don’t want developers to use
your API….
Make it as slow as you can for them to
get started.
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Let the Lawyers Get in the Way
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Make Them Wait
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Ask For TONS of Info
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Make Things “Secure”
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Have A Painful Installation Process
• Crypto is GREAT!
• Complex required
folder structures are
AWESOME!
• Lots of big downloads
RULE!
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If you don’t want developers to use
your API….
Don’t bother with support and
communication.
© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.
Documentation Is Overrated
• Use PDFs and other
non-searchable
formats (shout out to
Word .docs!)
• Hide everything
behind a login
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Don’t Respect Their Time
• Nobody wants to learn
by doing.
• Let’s read 100s of
pages instead!
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Don’t Worry About Responding
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Developers Loooooove Forums
• The clunkier the interface, the better!
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Don’t Go Where They Go
• Any committed developer
won’t just stick to the forums
they know and love.
• Right?
© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.
© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.
INNOVATIONStarts with Developers
Let us Build your Developer EcosystemStrategy, Onboarding, Outreach, Events
Carlo Longino, VP of Developer Program Services
Community: www.wip.org
Agency: www.wipfactory.com
Vancouver, Canada – Austin, USA – Barcelona, Spain