Demystifying API
Governance: Building
Success through
Understanding
Arnaud Lauret
API Governance Lead
Arnaud Lauret https://apihandyman.io
Arnaud Lauret
● API Governance Lead at Postman
● apihandyman.io
● Author of The Design of Web APIs
Arnaud Lauret https://apihandyman.io
https://www.manning.com/books/the-design-of-web-apis-second-edition
SECOND EDITION
ENTIRELY REVISED
AND EXPANDED
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API Governance?
No
API governance
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Designers create wheels that are not round enough
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Developers write highly specific code
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This impacts the organization's productivity and revenues
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No governance, dire consequences
Kafkaesque
API Governance
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The API design review
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Transcript of a review trial
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Rules 380, 467, 545 to 553 and 666
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Standards vs. Needs
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Standards vs. DX (developer experience)
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Delays vs. Deadlines
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Why don't you let us do it?
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A perfectly standard but useless API
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Kafkaesque API governnce
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Complex, out-of-touch standards and APIs
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Too extreme consistency
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Creating an API vs. creating the API right
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Time-consuming, error prone, and blocking processes
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Out-of-touch experts
Arnaud Lauret https://apihandyman.io
Kafkaesque governance, dire consequences
Helpful
API Governance
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Realistic, user-friendly guidelines
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Tools and automation to simplify, guide and learn
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Raising awareness and advocating
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Training novice designers
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Develop skills to focus on creating the right and user-friendly API
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Supporting more experienced designers
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Leave the final word
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Autonomous Experts
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Experts that are also trainers
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Increasing direct and indirect value of APIs
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Governance dissolves in day-to-day practice
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API creation isn't just about design
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A holistic approach to API governance
Arnaud Lauret https://apihandyman.io
API governance is
Helping people with an holistic
approach to maximize
API-generated value.
“
4 Tips for
establishing API
Governance
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Tip #1 Keep 4 values in mind
● Alignment
● Collaboration
● User Experience
● Enablement
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Alignment (with the organization's objectives)
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Collaboration (between all parties involved in API creation/use)
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(Governance) User Experience
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Enablement (Autonomous API creators)
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Tip #2 - Leverage an API Lifecycle
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Simplify every stage of the life cycle
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Tip #3 - Categorize APIs to focus your efforts
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Identifying boundaries
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Tip #4 - Establish governance iteratively
What is
API Governance?
Arnaud Lauret https://apihandyman.io
API governance is
Helping people with an holistic
approach to maximize
API-generated value.
“
Arnaud Lauret https://apihandyman.io
Thank you

Demystifying API governance: Building Success through Understanding