API that nobody uses is almost as sad as a pie that nobody eats. Yet, both of these occur every day. Regardless of whether your API is for partners, internal, or external usage, it needs an advocate to help it be adopted. There are good reasons why an API gets no usage, and there’s a lot we can learn from how pies are made, sold, and consumed.

Don’t expect short-term tactics, but the timeless fundamentals from Adam DuVander’s lessons learned in developer relations, within a large enterprise, and as one of the earliest journalists covering APIs. You’ll learn the importance of knowing your competition (yup, even for internal APIs), sharing your vision, being ever-present, and helping developers get started fast. And don’t forget the delicious, flaky crust.

DuVander has seen the same approach work at database-as-a-service Orchestrate.io, internally at its parent company CTL.io, at his neighborhood bakery, and in discussions with hundreds of API providers over the last eight years.