I've been doing API Evangelist for three years now, a world where selling APIs to existing companies outside of Silicon Valley, and often venture capital firms is a serious challenge. While APis have been around for a while in many different forms, this new, more open and collaborative approach to APis seems very foreign, new and scary for some companies and investors--resulting in them often very resistant to it.
As part of my storytelling process, I'm always looking for ways to dovetail API tools and services into existing business needs and operations, making them much more palatable to companies across many business sectors. Once part of the API space I'm just getting a handle on is the area API integration, which includes testing, monitoring, debugging, scheduling, authentication and other key challenges developers face when building applications that depend on APIs.
I was having a great conversation with Roger Guess of TheRightAPI the other day, which I try to do regularly. We are always brainstorming ideas on where the space is going and the best way to tell stories around API integration, that will resonate with existing companies. Roger was talking about the success they are finding dovetailing their testing, monitoring and other web API integration services with a company's existing QA process--something that I can see will resonate with many companies.
Hopefully your company already has a full developed QA cycle for your development team(s), including, but not limited to, automated, unit and regression testing--something where API tests, monitoring, scheduling and other emerging API integration building blocks will fit in nicely. This new breed of APi integration tools don't have to be some entirely new approach to development, chances are you are already using APIs in your development and API testing and monitoring can just be added to your existing QA toolbox.
I will spend more time looking for stories that help relate some of these new approaches to your existing QA processes, hopefully finding news ways you can put tools and services like TheRightAPI to use, helping you better manage the API integration aspect of your web and mobile application development.
