The document discusses the advancements and challenges in API platform development, particularly as organizations transition from monolithic to microservices architectures. It highlights the importance of defining success metrics, adopting effective security measures, and implementing a roadmap for API maturity while considering future-proofing and composability. The author emphasizes the need for self-service capabilities, reduced complexity, and open standards to create a 'good' API platform.

1. Unlocking the ROI
of API Platforms:
What Success
Actually Looks Like
Platform Summit 2024

2. Budhaditya Bhattacharya
Developer Advocate, Tyk
Your friendly storyteller
India, Singapore, USA (Durham)
● Product education, community engagement,
and open-source ecosystem expansion
● Co-creator of the API platform maturity
model
● Programme instructor - API platform
engineering fundamentals programme
● Host - All About APIs podcast
● Chairperson of the OpenAPI Initiative (BGB)
● Horror movies & musicals

3. Over a decade
ago
Small team
Monolith
Web application
Easy deployments
Single product
Small user base
Milestones
The beginning

4. Complexity v/s efficiency
GETTING STARTED
Complexity
Efficiency

5. Microservices
Milestones
As they moved away
from a monolithic
implementation they
needed to find new
ways of connecting
their services with
clients

6. Complexity v/s efficiency
MILESTONES
Complexity
Efficiency

7. Microservices Acquisitions
Org A has grown
through acquisitions
acquiring properties.
Seamless integration
can be difficult
Milestones
As they moved away
from a monolithic
implementation they
needed to find new
ways of connecting
their services with
clients

8. Complexity v/s velocity
MILESTONES
Complexity Efficiency

9. Microservices Acquisitions
Org A has grown
through acquisitions
acquiring properties.
Seamless integration
can be difficult
Cloud
Working in the Cloud gives
teams many different ways
of accomplishing the same
goal and provides new
networking challenges
across regions and
accounts
Milestones
As they moved away
from a monolithic
implementation they
needed to find new
ways of connecting
their services with
clients

10. Milestones
Microservices Acquisitions
Org A has grown
through acquisitions
acquiring properties.
Seamless integration
can be difficult
Cloud
Working in the Cloud gives
teams many different ways
of accomplishing the same
goal and provides new
networking challenges
across regions and
accounts
Multi-channel
Gone are the days of
one backend for one
client. Today’s APIs need
to support multiple
clients across an array
of platforms.
Adoption of GRAPHQL
As they moved away
from a monolithic
implementation they
needed to find new
ways of connecting
their services with
clients

11. Microservices
As they moved away
from a monolithic
implementation they
needed to find new
ways of connecting
their services with
clients
Acquisitions
Org A has grown
through acquisitions
acquiring properties.
Seamless integration
can be difficult
Cloud
Working in the Cloud gives
teams many different ways
of accomplishing the same
goal and provides new
networking challenges
across regions and
accounts
Multi-channel
Gone are the days of
one backend for one
client. Today’s APIs need
to support multiple
clients across an array
of platforms.
Adoption of GRAPHQL
Security
API security is more
important than ever.
There is a direct
correlation between the
complexity of your API
layer and the cost of
implementing effective
security.
Milestones

12. 2021
Huge uptick in users,
searches, bookings.
More team members, more
updates required,
More changes
Frequent deployments
Milestones
SCALE

13. Complexity v/s efficiency
GETTING STARTED
Complexity
Efficiency

14. Complexity v/s efficiency
GROWING PAINS
Complexity
Efficiency

15. Increased complexity
GROWING PAINS
Hard to
discover APIs
High surface
area for
attack
Hard to
troubleshoot
issues
No
standardisation

16. 4-5
hours
Avg
deployment
time
6-8
months
Release cycles
$100k
Additional
costs

17. Note: Not actual scenes from Realtor.com or Tyk

18. Enter: API platform
engineering

19. What does
“good” look
like - Metrics

20. Measuring what “good” looks like
METRICS OF SUCCESS
Velocity &
efficiency
Cost savings Developer
happiness

21. How do you
build a “good”
API platform

22. 02
03
04
05
01
Strategy - Defining “good”
Implementation - Starting the
journey towards “good”
Future proofing & composability
- Staying “good”
Evaluating “good”
Repeat
Focus areas
Crafting a “good” API platform

23. Strategy -
Defining “good”
CRAFTING A “GOOD” API PLATFORM

24. The API Platform
Maturity Model
Source: API Platform Maturity model

25. 1. Assess your team and organisation’s
current maturity level
2. Define a roadmap for where you
want to be in the future
3. Bridge the gap by investing
resources effectively
4. Unite all teams towards a shared
outcome
Why this is important
THE API PLATFORM MATURITY MODEL

28. Key stakeholders
Platform owner/
manager
Engineers/ developers
Solution architect
Product team(s)
Business stakeholders

29. The API Platform
Roadmap Workshop

30. The API
Platform
Roadmap
Workshop

34. Implementatio
n
CRAFTING A “GOOD” API PLATFORM

35. ● Aim to reduce friction, cognitive load or
both
● May not be a platform at all -
documentation, searchable knowledge
base
● Emphasis on self-service
● Keeps things streamlined
Thinnest Viable
Platform
AGILE DELIVERY

36. API platform capabilities
IMPLEMENTING AN API PLATFORM
Discoverability Security Observability Centralised
governance

37. Future-proofing
CRAFTING A “GOOD” API PLATFORM

38. ● Your API platform needs will evolve
● Balance flexibility and complexity
● Avoid vendor lock-in
○ Choose a vendor agnostic platform
● Focus on open standards
● Keeps things streamlined
Future-proofing
THINGS TO CONSIDER

39. Open Standards
FUTURE-PROOFING & COMPOSABILITY
Discoverability
OAS, Portals
Security
OAuth, IDP
Observability
Open Telemetry
Centralised
governance
OPA

40. Bringing it all together
FUTURE-PROOFING & COMPOSABILITY
Composable
API
Managemen
t

41. Evaluate and repeat
CRAFTING A “GOOD” API PLATFORM

42. 4-5
hours
Avg
deployment
time
6-8
months
Release cycles
$100k
Additional
costs

43. 15
mins
Avg
deployment
time
14
days
Release cycles
$100k
Cost Savings

44. 02
03
04
05
01
Strategy - Define “good”
Implementation - Start small, build
up
Future proofing & composability
Evaluating “good”
Repeat
Takeaways
Crafting a “good” API platform

45. Thank you!
Come talk to us to continue the
discussion or reach out:
Budha Bhattacharya
https://www.linkedin.com/in/budha-b/

46. Thank you!