API Product Strategy

Before building anything, define your API’s value, users, and business goals from day one.

Outcomes

• A straightforward API value proposition and audience

Related metrolines

• Business Opportunities Line
• Platform Architecture Line
• Operating Model Line

Why it matters

Many organizations think of APIs as tech projects, not products. The result? Confused consumers, poor adoption, and wasted effort.

This station helps you define your API’s purpose, target audience, and success criteria, so teams can deliver APIs that solve real problems.

Entry criteria

• Insights from metrics and feedback are available to optimize existing APIs.
• Business goals are defined.
• Market research identifies API opportunities.
• Stakeholders approve strategy discussions.

Exit criteria

• Individual API opportunities are identified and documented.
• The API meets a clear business need and is reusable for multiple API consumers.
• The goal of the API is to hide backend data models and discrepancies.
• The value proposition validates with key stakeholders.
• API consumer segments (internal and external) are identified.
• High-level roadmaps for API development are established.

How it works

1. Explore the customer or partner problem you expect to solve with APIs. Map the stakeholders, ther journeys and outcomes using the Customer Journey canvas.
   Customer Journey Canvas Map customer journeys to identify needs and pain points, enhancing API design and user experience.
2. Define core entities, their attributes, and relationships to create a shared conceptual understanding across journeys and eventually APIs.
   Domain Canvas A modeling tool to define and communicate the key entities and relationships in your domain, ensuring semantic consistency across APIs.
3. Identify the developer needs and new or reusable APIs using the API Value Proposition Canvas.
   API Value Proposition Canvas Align API features with user needs by mapping tasks, pains, and gains to API products.
4. Define the value — for users and the business with the API Business Model canvas to make your API strategy visual, shareable, and easy to validate with your API consumers at the next station.
   API Business Model Canvas Strategically assess API business viability by mapping value propositions, consumer segments, and key resources.

Apply in your work

Provide guidelines and templates for creating API business models, value propositions, and roadmaps.