At Nordic APIs, our goal is to help businesses make smart tech decisions using APIs. To that end, via events and content Nordic APIs has treaded the business and technical sides to consider holistic best practices for providing an API. In this introductory Summit keynote talk, I’ll introduce what we’ve learned in the form of 6 core tenants of API practice which we’ve also designed this conference to address. Together they define a functional and evolving API:

Platformification: Becoming an API-first company means undergoing a platformification process. This represents a global trend that many argue needs to be adopted to keep your business competitive within the digital economy.
Strategy: Even before development begins, it’s important to consider your core API strategy. This is a defensible position that aligns your tech with platform goals, strategically exposing internal assets catered to an industry niche.
Business Models: APIs have the power to improve efficiency, reduce overhead cost, open up complementary revenue streams, extend R&D, or even alter an existing business model entirely. Thus, you’ll want to determine the right monetization method that improves overall business and leads to end profitability.
Security: With new major data breaches reaching the public ear every month, the importance of digital security can never be underestimated. For APIs, much of that lies in monitoring usage, access management, and identity control.
Design: No developer wants to use an API with an ugly developer portal, unintuitive URL structures, outdated technology, or terrible lag time. In order to keep your developer consumer happy, paint the API portal and overall developer experience with an aesthetic brush.
Marketing: In order to spark adoption, you need to have more than awesome functionality. I’ll review evangelism and discovery techniques you can use to get an API in the hands of more developer users.

We’ll look at specific successful implementations of these philosophies in the wild, and mention examples from our blog and eBook content that have brought in industry experts to share their insights. I’ll initiate dialogue and open the conference up to see where we’re heading. What you can get out of embracing the core tenants of API practice?