Starting with an MVP

Companies that are focused on their products typically believe that releasing an MVP to the market (or, in the case of an internal API, to production) as soon as possible and then continuously iterating based on developer feedback is the ideal strategy. By shifting to a product-first mentality, businesses can rapidly test out new ideas across the board and adjust their spending based on what works and what doesn’t.

Since an API management layer can help separate the quick development of apps and the onboarding of new partners from the slower, more rigid processes of the company, an API-driven organization may be more agile than its more traditional counterpart.

However, developing an API isn’t enough to make a company more agile. Many corporations lack the infrastructure to accept internet-scale partners into their annual project plans. The sales, marketing, and finance departments, among others, may have developed their own rhythms over time...