The document discusses API design, highlighting its artistic and technical aspects, including creativity, beauty, and intuition in crafting user-centric interfaces. It outlines the author's personal journey in API development and the significance of using AI tools like ChatGPT to aid in discovery, design, and improvement of APIs. The author emphasizes the importance of curiosity, asking the right questions, and the balance between creativity and technical skill in successful API design.

1. API DESIGN USING CHATGPT AS A COPILOT
RAHUL DIGHE
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT (MERCHANT INTEGRATIONS @ PAYPAL)
@RAHULDIGHE | RSDIGHE@HOTMAIL.COM | CALENDLY.COM/MRAPI
I ❤ API’S
Disclaimer: The opinions and observations presented herein are my personal views and analysis. They do not necessarily re
fl
ect the of
fi
cial stance or opinions of my employer. This analysis is based on independent research and assessment conducted in my personal capacity.

2. ART & CRAFT
API DESIGN AS ART
• Creativity: API design requires creativity to come up with solutions that are both elegant and functional. It involves making
decisions about resource naming, endpoint structure and data formats that are not purely technical but also user-centric.
• Beauty: A well-designed API can be considered beautiful in its own way. It is elegant, simple, and easy to use.
• Intuition: There’s an element of intuition involved in making design choices that result is an API that feels natural and easy
for developers to work with.
API DESIGN AS CRAFT
• Technical Skill: Effective API design demands a deep understanding of technical aspects like HTTP methods, status codes, data
formats (e.g., JSON, XML), authentication methods, and more.
• Experience and Expertise: Seasoned API designers draw from their experience to make informed decisions about best
practices, security considerations, and performance optimizations.
The most successful API designs often strike a balance between these perspectives, leveraging creativity and technical prowess to deliver
impactful and ef
fi
cient APIs.

3. API DESIGN APPROACH - MY PERSONAL JOURNEY
Individual Contributor PM Advising & Reviewing APIs across Org Train & Mentor API PM in the team
On Walks
In my dreams
Exercising

4. INSTANT ADVICE FROM JUNIOR PM TO SVP

5. OUR HEADS ARE A LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL BUT IT’S CANNOT SCALE, GET TIERED, BIASED…
API Design
Patterns
Competitor
API
API
Conferences
API Design
Guidelines
Past
Mistakes in
Design
Vast
Knowledge
base
Speed and
Scale
Consistency
Quick
learning and
adaptable
Pattern
Recognition

6. KEY INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS
Be Curious “Ask Why a lot” Ask the right Questions
Prompt Engineering

7. CHAT GPT AS A COPILOT FOR THE DISCOVERY & DESIGN
DEPLOY & LAUNCH
Sandbox availability
User testing
Training
GTM activities
Setup Monitoring
Limited Release
DISCOVERY
Problem
Competitors
Customer research
Persona
Business Case
Epics
DESIGN
End Points, Fields
Security
Mocks
Frontend tools
Specification
User Stories
DEVELOP
Prioritized backlog
Spec to Code
Documentation
SDK
Automated Tests
MVP

8. PROBLEM
“I am going to meet a lot of
API geeks in Paris and I
am sure they would love
an API that helps them
fi
nd the best croissants in
Paris what potential API
solutions can I build”

9. API TO FIND THE BEST CROISSANT IN PARIS !
Problem
I am going to meet a lot of API geeks in Paris and I am sure they would love an API that helps them
fi
nd the best croissants in Paris what
potential API solutions can I build
Competitor
Research
1. What are some good examples of providers who might offer an api to
fi
nd who has the best croissants in Paris
2. Generate a table with list of providers who offer an API similar to Yelp Fusion API in 1st column and the name of the API end point in
second column
3. Generate a table with list of providers who offer an API to look up bakeries that offer croissants in 1st column and the name of the API
end point in second column
Persona
For the duration of this session assume the persona of a croissant connoisseur who has tasted croissants in every city he has visited on
earth. He is in his early 40's, married with 2 kids and fell in love with croissant when he
fi
rst visited Paris as a student. He can be very
particular about his croissants and has been known to judge croissant competitions in his hometown.
What would you like to search when looking for the best croissant?
Epics Write epics for an API to
fi
nd best croissant in paris in the format "As a 'persona', I want ____ so that _____
Endpoints What endpoints should I consider while building an api that will help
fi
nd the best croissant in Paris
Fields What
fi
elds should I offer in my API that helps someone search for the best croissant in a Paris
Errors What error messages should I offer in my API that helps someone search for the best croissant in a Paris

10. IMPROVE EXISTING API
Improve Field
Names
Rewrite the api request with an aim to enhance readability, clarity, and consistency within the API request, making it
easier for developers to understand and work with the API. Also explain the changes made and why “< JSON Request>”
Improve
Descriptions
Rewrite the description to enhance readability, clarity making it easier for a developer who has never worked on API to
understand "The preferred server response upon successful completion of the request. Value is:
Improve Error
Message
Provide suggestions for errors that mean similar thing as below “<error code> <error message”.
rewrite the error messages to enhance readability, clarity, have a consistent tone making it easier for developers to read
the error and make suitable corrections. Explain the changes made and why
Brainstorm
-What else?
Provide suggestions on how to restructure the API request to enhance readability, usability, clarity and consistency,
making it easier for developers who have never worked on Payment APIs to understand work with this API. Explain the
changes made and why “<JSON Request>”.

11. CHALLENGES
Only as
good as what
they are trained
on
Limited
Creativity for
novel tasks
Approach
with healthy
skepticism
It’s like
learning to use
a search
engine
Responses
Evolve

12. MIT Generative AI
ROLE OF AI
YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE
REPLACED BY “AI” BUT YOU WILL
BE REPLACED BY A HUMAN USING
“AI"

13. RAHUL DIGHE
www.linkedin.com/in/rahuldighe
www.calendly.com/mrapi
rsdighe@hotmail.com
LAUNCHES FEB 14, 2024
API Product Manager:
ChatGPT Prompts
THANKS ! LET’S GET IN TOUCH