apidays London 2022 - The Path from Open Banking to Embedded Finance October 26 & 27, 2022 API product manager or lame duck? Setting up the role for success. Claire Barrett, Director, APIsFirst & Leader, Women in APIs initiative ------ Check out our conferences at https://www.apidays.global/ Do you want to sponsor or talk at one of our conferences? https://apidays.typeform.com/to/ILJeAaV8 Learn more on APIscene, the global media made by the community for the community: https://www.apiscene.io Explore the API ecosystem with the API Landscape: https://apilandscape.apiscene.io/ Deep dive into the API industry with our reports: https://www.apidays.global/industry-reports/ Subscribe to our global newsletter: https://apidays.typeform.com/to/i1MPEW

1. Setting up an API Product Manager role for success
Getting ahead of the game
Claire Barrett
October 2022

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3. Consultant and technology leader
API-enabled change accelerator
Thought leader
Inclusivity champion
Director, APIsFirst
www.linkedin.com/in/claire-global
Co-founder, The API Collective
www.theapicollective.com
Global lead for Women In APIs
apidays.global/initiatives-women-in-apis

4. Setting up an API Product Manager for success

5. API product management as a discipline
● Is evolving fast
● Underpins strategies
● Comes in different shapes and sizes

6. ?
Photograph from unsplash.com

7. Let’s start with a bit of a
history lesson…

8. What’s the genealogy of API product management?
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

9. Product management evolution from 1930s...
Services
Process &
automation
Structural
engineering
Projects
Manufacturing
Lean &
features
FMCG &
Marketing Products &
brand
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022
Source: The History and Evolution of Product Management, M Eriksson 2015

10. Through to the 2000s...
Services
Process &
automation
Structural
engineering
Projects
Manufacturing
Lean &
features
FMCG &
Marketing Products &
brand Customer,
data & UX
Tech
products
Technology
Agile & s/w
engineering
Platforms &
ecosystems
Digitisation
API
products
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

11. So why do we need
API product managers?

12. “API product success =
business success”
True or false?

13. Connection to success
Organisation
strategy
Product
strategy
APIs as
products
API product
management
informs and/or
informed by
enabled and
accelerated by
relying
on

14. Connection to success
Organisation
strategy
Tech / API
strategy
APIs as
products
API product
management
informs and/or
informed by
enabled and
accelerated by
relying
on

15. Whether embedding or being
embedded…
…API product management
capabilities is more important

16. In-demand IT roles for business ecosystem
participation
Source: “Canadian CIOs: Focus on In-Demand IT Roles” - Gartner 2018
“Governs the
evolution of
connections in the
ecosystem and
determines how
they are designed
and monetized.”
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

17. APIs and ecosystem plays need
cross-industry disciplines
Marketing / Brand
Engineering / Projects
Services / Automation
Technology
Convergence
Risk of
interpretation
variance
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

18. How are we seeing the
role evolving?

19. Chameleon?
Wizard?
Technology guru?
Photograph from unsplash.com

20. Let’s go back a step
API
products
Tech
products

21. Tech
products
Sources: Will Lawrence https://productlife.to/p/-the-four-pm-archetypes 2021
Sachin Rekhi https://www.sachinrekhi.com/finding-product-culture-fit 2020
Engineering-driven Data-driven Design-driven Sales-driven
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

22. Applying tech
knowledge for
highest impact
Defining
success,
uncovering
opportunities,
leading fast
execution
Understanding
user problems,
partnering for
right solution
Ensuring
product
success in
market
Engineering-driven Data-driven Design-driven Sales-driven
Engineering-driven Data-driven Design-driven Sales-driven
Sources: Will Lawrence https://productlife.to/p/-the-four-pm-archetypes 2021
Sachin Rekhi https://www.sachinrekhi.com/finding-product-culture-fit 2020 © APIsFirst Ltd 2022

23. “So what?” for the equivalent with APIs?
API
products
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

24. Engineering-driven

25. What more engineering-driven looks like
A large, mature organisation that is:
● Realising value from digital transformation
● Simplifying technology
● Insourcing more and growing engineering talent
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

26. Can be mistaken for :
● Leading tech simplification
● Championing API reuse
● Looking after API governance
Engineering-driven
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

27. Focuses on :
● API reliability, security and performance
over best API design
● Engineering practices and processes
● High-tech answers to API product problems
Relies on :
● Technical depth and credibility
● Communication skills with engineers and
architects
Engineering-driven
Photograph from unsplash.com

28. Enthusing about
new technology
Engineering-driven
Focuses on :
● API reliability, security and performance
over best API design
● Engineering practices and processes
● High-tech answers to API product problems
Relies on :
● Technical depth and credibility
● Communication skills with engineers and
architects
Photograph from unsplash.com

29. Data-driven

30. What more data-driven looks like
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

31. Data-driven
Can be mistaken for:
● Owning API data products
● Unlocking value from data as APIs
● Leveraging AI/ML strengths and investment via APIs
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

32. Data-driven
Focuses on :
● Monitoring and synthesising today
● Understanding consumer
onboarding and usage
● Planning “what next?” with APIs
Relies on :
● Statistical and analytical skills
● Communication with data
Photograph from unsplash.com
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

33. Focuses on :
● Monitoring and synthesising today
● Understanding consumer
onboarding and usage
● Planning “what next?” with APIs
Relies on :
● Statistical and analytical skills
● Communication with data
Building new
dashboards
Data-driven
Photograph from unsplash.com
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

34. Design-driven

35. What more design-driven looks like
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

36. Can be mistaken for :
● Incubating embedded business models
● Monetising APIs either directly or indirectly
● Creating new API-enabled customer experiences
Design-driven
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

37. Focuses on :
● Getting API consumer future
wants and needs
● Consumer endpoint designs
● Design thinking and digital product
design practices
Relies on :
● External community participation
● Story-telling and influence
Design-driven
Photograph from unsplash.com
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

38. Focuses on :
● Getting API consumer future
wants and needs
● Consumer endpoint designs
● Design thinking and digital product
design practices
Relies on :
● External community participation
● Story-telling and influence
Away at user panels
and consumer forums
Design-driven
Photograph from unsplash.com
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

39. Sales-driven

40. Sales-driven
Can be mistaken for :
● API-ifying current products
● Responding to customer / partner / market forces
● Expanding existing APIs’ use
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

41. What more sales-driven looks like
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

42. Focuses on :
● Unlocking value from data via APIs
● API pricing and consumption
● Marketing angle of API portal as
sales channel
Relies on :
● Commercial skills
● Ability to influence beyond
traditional organisational boundaries
Photograph from unsplash.com
Sales-driven
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

43. Hanging out with
business colleagues
Focuses on :
● Unlocking value from data via APIs
● API pricing and consumption
● Marketing angle of API portal as
sales channel
Relies on :
● Commercial skills
● Ability to influence beyond
traditional organisational boundaries
Photograph from unsplash.com
Sales-driven
© APIsFirst Ltd 2022

44. In summary
● API product managers are integral to
API success
● The discipline is evolving at pace
● Aligning role expectations with API
organisational strategy

45. © APIsFirst Ltd
Want to know more?
linkedin.com/in/claire-global
contact@apisfirst.com

46. © APIsFirst Ltd
Questions and answers