API-First: LEGOs for Business, Spidey Sense

One of the most common refrains that API-first businesses hear is, “Oh Company X will just build that in-house,” and yet, they almost never do. It’s not for lack of resources. Facebook generated more profit in 2019 ($57 billion) than Twilio’s entire market cap ($51 billion). It’s that once they’re integrated into a customer’s product, API-first com... See more

My definition? The best API-first companies give their users “superpowers” that they wouldn’t have otherwise.

Using a bunch of APIs that are really flexible, and figuring out good ways to connect them, leads to a combinatorial explosion of potential workflows. API-first companies turn software into like customizable building blocks, and companies like Zapier and Tray.io function as “APIs for all APIs,” making connections between nearly any app with an API ... See more