The webinar on March 14, 2013, covered the business ROI of APIs, focusing on topics such as different API business models, branding strategies, and hackathons as promotional tools. Presenters included Leslie Hitchcock from TechCrunch, Alex Donn from AT&T, and Alex Gaber from Layer 7, highlighting the significance of marketing APIs effectively and measuring the ROI from hackathons. The discussion also addressed common challenges developers face when integrating APIs.

1. Webinar: Business ROI for APIs
March 14th, 2013

2. Webinar Housekeeping
Questions
- Please use WebEx Chat any questions you have and we’ll answer
them at the end of this webinar
Twitter: Event hashtag: #L7webinar
Follow us on Twitter:
• @Layer7
• @ATTDeveloper
• @TechCrunch
• @LSH
• @Alex_Donn
• @Intalex
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3. Webinar Presenters: Business ROI for APIs
Leslie Hitchcock @LSH
Hackathon Events Manager
TechCrunch
Alex Donn @Alex_Donn
Head of Hackathons
AT&T
Alex Gaber @Intalex
API Evangelist
Layer 7
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4. Agenda for Today’s Webinar
Topic: Business ROI for APIs
1. API Business Models
2. Building an API Brand
3. Hackathons for API Promotion and Success
4. Hackathon ROI for APIs
5. Developer API Challenges
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5. Agenda for Today’s Webinar
Topic: Business ROI for APIs
1. API Business Models
2. Building an API Brand
3. Hackathons for API Promotion and Success
4. Hackathon ROI for APIs
5. Developer API Challenges
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6. 1. API Business Models
Various Business Models Exist for APIs
• Per API Call
• Per API Payload
• Transactional Revenue
• Firehose API
• Platform API
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7. 1. API Business Models: Per API Call
Per API Call
Example:
Twilio
Text messages sent via
an API are billed at
$0.01 per message
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8. 1. API Business Models: Per API Payload
Per API Payload
Example:
AT&T Speech API
Voice transcriptions
via an API are billed
at $X.XX per word
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9. 1. API Business Models: Transactional Revenue API
Transactional Revenue API
Example:
Expedia EAN API
Hotel is booked via an
affiliate application,
earning the affiliate a
commission
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10. 1. API Business Models: Firehose API
Firehose API
Example:
Twitter API
Please email api at twitter.com with
Large scale access your use case, a brief description of
to API for partners your organization, and the requested
building significant access level(s) you require. As a
integrations general rule, firehose access is rarely
granted. You may want to investigate
using a service such as gnip or
datasift to access this data.
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11. 1. API Business Models: Platform API
Platform API
Example:
Salesforce.com
API Provided to
customers to build
integrations
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12. Agenda for Today’s Webinar
Topic: Business ROI for APIs
1. API Business Models
2. Building an API Brand
3. Hackathons for API Promotion and Success
4. Hackathon ROI for APIs
5. Developer API Challenges
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13. 2. Building a Brand Around Your API
Promoting a brand around your API helps you get marketplace
traction and allows you to market your API as a business in and of
itself.
• Approach your API like a product
• What engages consumers or B2B customers may not be
appropriate for a dev audience
• Analyze companies that are exclusively API businesses
such as Twilio, Stripe and Singly
• Invest in your API and promote it accordingly
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14. 2. Building a Brand Around Your API
Providing Integration with Mobile App Developer Tools
AT&T API
Plugin for
Appcelerator
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15. 2. Building a Brand Around Your API
Providing Integration with Mobile App Developer Tools
SendGrid API
Plugin for
Tiggzi
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16. Agenda for Today’s Webinar
Topic: Business ROI for APIs
1. API Business Models
2. Building an API Brand
3. Hackathons for API Promotion and Success
4. Hackathon ROI for APIs
5. Developer API Challenges
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17. 3. Hackathons for API Promotion and Success
 opportunity cost ($ per developer)
 effort (enterprise vs social)
 do your APIs solve a problem?
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18. Agenda for Today’s Webinar
Topic: Business ROI for APIs
1. API Business Models
2. Building an API Brand
3. Hackathons for API Promotion and Success
4. Hackathon ROI for APIs
5. Developer API Challenges
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19. 4. Hackathon ROI for APIs
 good general marketing
 good brand building
 good NPS
 excellent $/developer
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20. 2012 Disrupt San Francisco Hackathon:
By the Numbers
500+ 1100+
Hack Presentation
40+
Hackathon Sponsors
Hackers Attendees
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21. TechCrunch Hackathon Partnerships
Most successful Hackathon
partnerships:
• API Workshops
• Custom Contests
• Themed Mini Hacks
• Hack Day “Table Area”
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22. 2012 Disrupt Hackathon:
Ford Partnership Use Study
Ford’s continued efforts in reaching
TechCrunch’s developer audience have paid
off, year over year.
What worked?
• Marketing efforts on TechCrunch Event
Site, Hackathon Wiki and directly to
Hackathon registrants drove participation in
their mini Auto-themed hackathon
• Ford PR pitched API exclusively to
TechCrunch writing team, independently of
Disrupt sponsorship
• 70+ teams applied to participate in Ford’s
mini-hackathon, up from approximately 30 in
2011
• 6 teams were chosen and competed for Ford’s
prize: Ford Sync partnership and a trip to CES
2013
• Winner gained exposure through Ford in USA
Today Money section
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23. 2012 Disrupt Hackathon:
Locu Partnership Use Study
In first year out of incubation, seed-
funded Locu had largest overall
implementation of a sponsored API.
What worked?
• TechCrunch targeted Locu for an API
Workshop (only 6 available)
• Marketing efforts on TechCrunch Event
Site, Hackathon Wiki plus Locu social
efforts made their API Workshop
standing room only
• 150 hacks submitted, 20% used Locu
API
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24. Agenda for Today’s Webinar
Topic: Business ROI for APIs
1. API Business Models
2. Building an API Brand
3. Hackathons for API Promotion and Success
4. Hackathon ROI for APIs
5. Developer API Challenges
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25. 5. Developer API Challenges
 On-site support
 Solid virtual technical systems
 Good documentation
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26. Layer 7 Mobile App Single Sign On
Contact us today!
http://www.layer7.com
@Layer7
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27. Upcoming Tech Talk
Enterprise Mobility and BYOD
March 26, 9am PST
Special Guests: VP Client Solutions Matt McLarty
and Leif Bildoy Product Manager, Mobile
Details: www.layer7.com/live
Tweet Questions: #layer7live
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28. Questions?
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