Bringing an Outside-In Perspective to API Development feat. James Higginbotham, CEO and Founder at LaunchAny

The fundamental purpose of an API is to connect applications — so don’t let the implementation process create organizational disconnects, says James Higginbotham, CEO and founder of API consultancy LaunchAny.

API development has come a long way since its Wild West early days, when the only people who paid any attention to APIs were the developers and engineers building them. Now, APIs have significant potential across departments, not to mention as external products. 

This is a great opportunity, but also means that developers can’t plug in, tune out, and emerge weeks later with something they’ve cooked up alone. There has to be consultation with the end users, who might have a very different vision and set of needs than developers appreciate.

On this episode of API Intersection, James explains how to build bridges between developers and the other stakeholders, why you should consider creating a position for an API platform manager, and how to start formalizing your APIs with an eye on the future.

Episode source