What is your framework for growing internal or external developer adoption for your API program ?

[bala]

I will be sharing what we have gathered as best practices tomorrow at the API City tour in Chicago. Please join us if you can else share your views here.

[anilsr]

@Bala Kasiviswanathan , Great topic... Can you share slides / presentation here if possible ?

[bala]

Will do shortly.

[#4]

Without any doubt, developer adoption decides success or failure of any API program. Surprisingly, this is considered as very last step in the API program life cycle like providing information what an enterprise has to offer. Instead, Outside-In perspective is required, first to find what really developers need and second, to considered them as inputs of next release.

Hygiene factors for any developer API program:

1. Smooth Developer’s registration process. Ask minimum possible information. Developers will provide additional information once their initial experience has gone good.

2. Working sample request & response as part of API documentation. Scenarios like success, alternate, and error should be part of the documentation.

3. Sandbox environment sort of playground for developers to have a feel how API perform in terms of latency, etc.

Differentiation factors that shows you really care about developers:

1. Treat developers as your customers by:

a.Dedicated support to ensure that API consumption is hassle-free.

b.To access Sandbox environment, don’t mandate Developer’s registration. If registration is required due to some reason, automatic approval should be implemented.

c.Share roadmap of APIs. Make them a stakeholders in deciding next release.

d.There must be good reasons why developers’ should use latest version of APIs. Keep reminding them about deprecated APIs and benefit to moving to new ones.

2. Accept internal and external developers as same except that that internal developers have privileges to access private APIs.

3. Cultivate developer community by

a. Recognition of developers e.g. who are bringing good traffic, helping other developers

b. Success stories of Developers’, preferably ones from external developers.

c. Provide platform like Hackathon event to have face to face interaction

4. Measure pulse of adoption program by

a. Active developers, traffic per App, App still consuming deprecated APIs, etc.

b. API consumption effectiveness e.g. how fast a developer can build an App using APIs.

c. Effectiveness of developer’s registration process by required number of clicks, time taken to fill the form, abandoned registration requests, etc.

[anilsr]

Useful Insights into Developer Program, Great answer @rdoda !! +1

[bala]

Great points. In fact yesterday in Chicago I spent a few minute specifically drilling into point #2. I think that is sometimes the most overlooked point.