The previous chapter delivered a comprehensive walk through of the end-to-end API life cycle. This chapter elaborates on the non-technical aspects of implementing APIs by focusing on the organizational implications of handling APIs as business products. To this end, the chapter describes what it means to think of APIs as products, as opposed to IT assets. The chapter explores the implications of doing so and the impact this has on the organization, teams, roles, responsibilities, and even communication structures.
The chapter outlines a target operating model (TOM) that is suitable for handling APIs and related teams as profit generating organizations, as opposed to just IT cost centers.