Slides from my talks at berlin.apidays.io & IBM Impact in Las Vegas.

1. APIs need product managers
Treating your API
like a product

2. @OAuth_io @Philocrate
You know how to make
products. Right?

3. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
If so, you can manage APIs.

4. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Here’s why
1- APIs are products
2- Sell a product rather than service
3- How to turn an API into a product

5. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
My name is ....
title
twitter handler / email
I've studied philosophy but my head
ended up in the cloud.
!
CMO @OAuth_io
Follow me @Philocrate
About Me
@OAuth_io

6. @OAuth_io @Philocrate
1- API = Product

7. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
“An API is a medium"
Just a tool to deliver software?

8. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
S3, EC2, Mailjet, Twilio…
Not just a way to deliver.
APIs are products

9. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
The can is the product

10. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
How did APIs become so popular?
Because these are products.

11. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Made APIs popular: EC2, S3, SES…
Productization started in 2006

12. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Wait. “API productization?”
It sounds like another buzzword but...

13. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Building products
That’s what they do

14. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Before productization (SOA)
Internal: Only potential

15. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
After productization (API)
External: Usable

16. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Productization is vital

17. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
To sell

18. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
= extract killer features from a
particular medium, to turn it into a
usable, marketable product.
What Bezos / Jobs did

19. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
Bezos didn’t invent REST,
Jobs didn’t invent touch-screens.
Product Management Is Key

20. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Hum. Sceptic?
Not convinced?

21. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Know this startup?
= 100% API-driven

22. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Know this guy?
Ex Product Manager @Amazon

23. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
API Veterans

24. @OAuth_io @Philocrate
2- Sell a product,
not a service

25. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Back to classic definitions
Still valid?

26. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
= Physical Good
Product

27. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
= Immaterial
Service

28. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Pay attention to the “as a.”
Careful with "SaaS"

29. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
“As a service” means you are
selling a product, not a service

30. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
“SaaS”, “Web Service”...
= Business Model / Tech Notion
= “Get the advantages of a product,
but consume it like a service.”

31. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
“As a"
Not owned,
BUT “Always on” (utility computing)

32. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Products are consistent
while services are not.

33. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
Not convinced?

34. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
“Products”
YOU pick them.

35. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
“Services”
THEY perform.

36. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Consistency VS
uncertainty

37. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Companies want to
deliver products, not
services.

38. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
#1 HR
Service = you depend on the people

39. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
“Your most valuable assets walk in
and out of the door every day.”
!
A Service Company

40. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
#2 Marketing
A product is easier to sell

41. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
“To create a service business you can sell,
do whatever you can to make your
business have a product and a formula
that predictably delivers results.”
!
David Ogilvy

42. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
#3 Profitability
Services don’t scale
Less service = Higher gross margin

43. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
“Our API product doesn’t have this
feature. But we will sell service and
customize a plugin for this ONE client."
!
A CEO who doesn’t get SaaS

44. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
#4 Efficient Sales
Here
NOT here
The buyer can play with the product

45. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
#5 Production
Scalability is… possible

46. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
MUST be products
Bottom line:

47. @OAuth_io @Philocrate
3- Turning your
service into a
product

48. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
Again
(I don’t own stocks)

49. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
1- Name it
2- Package it
3- Write instructions
4- Words of caution
5- Barcode it
6- Copywrite it
Follow the recipe:
Let’s try with an API?

50. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
1- Name it
2- Package it
3- Write instructions
4- Words of caution
5- Barcode it
6- Copywrite it
‣Oauth.io
‣APIs
‣API Doc
‣Terms of Use
‣SaaS
‣Licensed
How it works
Thanks P&G!

51. Headline should look like this
@Philocrate@OAuth_io
The API Product Manager makes
the magic happen

52. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
Founded in 2013
About 5000 apps
!
Twitter @oauth_io
About OAuth.io
@OAuth_io

53. @Philocrate@OAuth_io
Questions?
elie.li
oauth.io
speakerdeck.com/elie
@OAuth_io