Just Because The Enterprise Will Never Get APIs Does Not Mean You Should Not Try

The response on Twitter and via email to my post about how the enterprise does not know(care) how big and destructive it is to APIs, is usual to this type of post, which I usually write about every six months to shake the enterprise trees. My enterprise readers rarely ever favorite or share posts, and engage in conversation on social media, and writing the occasional anti-enterprise posts is a sort of roll call for some of them--who I would never know exist unless I ruffle their feathers (thanks for sharing your thoughts). 

I strongly believe that the enterprise (machine) does not care about APIs, but this doesn't mean that the enterprise (individual) does not care about APIs, and can't find meaningful success by employing APIs. It is one of the reasons I bad mouth the enterprise (machine) in this way, to help you see it as a separate beast than from what you are trying to accomplish with APIs within your group.

I have worked in the enterprise, as well as government bureaucracy and know the struggles. I am super thankful for people who have the fortitude to work in these environments, as I do not. Not all change can be inflicted from the outside-in, and the whole API thing requires folks who are embedded, entrenched, and willing to take on the mundane, micro-struggles that exist within the enterprise (machine).

While I do not believe in the enterprise (machine) and APIs, I do believe in you the enterprise (individual) and APIs. You need to keep trying to do API, no matter how many times they fail, or how uphill of a battle it might be. Now that I shook a handful of you out of the trees, feel free to keep sending me messages from within, and I'm happy to keep sharing stories that hopefully will help you in your struggle.