It is a hustle to do API Evangelist. I've been lucky to have the support of 3Scale since 2013, without them API Evangelist would not have survived. I'm also thankful for the community stepping up last year to keep the site up and running, keeping it community focused thing, and not just yet another vendor mouthpiece. I make my money providing four ad slots on the site, by selling guides and white papers, and by consulting and creating content for others. It is a hustle that I enjoy much more than having a regular job, even though it is often more precarious, and unpredictable regarding what the future might hold.
Taking money from companies always creates a paradox for me. People read my stories because they tend to be vendor neutral and focus on ideas, and usable API-centric concepts. While I do write about specific companies, products, services, and tooling, I primarily try to talk about the solutions they provide, the ideas and stories behind them, steering clear of just being a cheerleader for specific vendor solutions. It's hard, and something I'm not always successful at, but I have primarily defined my brand by sticking to this theory.
This approach is at odds with what most people want to give me money for. 3Scale has long supported me and invested in me being me, doing what I do--which is rare. Most companies just want me to write about them, even if they understand the API Evangelist brand. They are giving me money, and in exchange, I should write about them, and their products and services. They often have no regard to the fact that this will hurt my brand, and run my readers off, falling short of actually achieving what they are wanting to achieve. I get the desire to advertise and market your warez, but the ability for companies to be their own worst enemy in this process is always fascinating to me.
I get regular waves of folks who want to give me money. I'm talking with and fending off a couple at the moment. So I wanted to think through this paradox (again), and talk about it out loud. It just doesn't make sense for me to take money from a company to write blog posts, white papers, and guides about their products and services. However, I feel like I can take money from companies to write blog posts, white papers, and guides about an industry or topic related to the problems they provide solutions for, or possesses a significant audience that might be interested in their products and services. I consider this underwriting and sponsorship of my API Evangelist research, where they receive branding, references, and other exposure opportunities along the way.
Ideally, all branding, reference, and exposure elements are measurable through the tracking of impressions and links. What was the reach? What is the scope of exposure? It is difficult to sustain any relationship without measuring success and both parties are unable to articulate and justify the financial underwriting and support. In some cases, I get paid a finder's fee for referrals, but this can be very difficult to track on and validate--something that requires a company to be pretty ethical, and truly invested in partnerships with smaller brands like me. I prefer to rely on this, as opposed to any sort of affiliate or reseller style tracking systems. I like companies that ask their customers, "how did you learn about us?", as they tend to actually care about their employees, partners, other stakeholders at a higher level.
Sometimes I take an advisor, or even technology investor role in startups, taking on a larger stake in outcomes, but these are something that is very rare. I have a manila file folder filled with stock options, and stakes I have in companies that never reached an exit, or when they did I was written out of things--when I do get a check from startup founders, I'm always floored. This does happen, but is truly a rare occurrence. I wish there were more decoupled, plug and play opportunities to invest in startups as an advisor, researcher, analyst, and storyteller, but alas the system isn't really set up for this type of thinking--people prefer the big money plays, over smaller, more meaningful contributions--it's about the money man.
Anyways, every time I visit this conversation in my head I come back to the same place. I'm happy to take money from companies to generate short form and long form content about an industry or topic. If there are finder fees for referrals, great! I leave it up to you to track on and come back to me with the details, and any specific event--while I will stay focused on what I do best, the thing you are investing in me to do. I'm mildly interested in opportunities to become more invested in your companies overall success, honestly, I just don't trust that the system will deliver in this area, and is more often just looking to extract value from me. I have seen too much in my 30-year career. However, I always welcome folks who want to prove me wrong! ;-)
In the end, my mission stays the same. I'm interested in studying where the API space has been, where it is at, and where it might be going. Then, I am interested in telling stories from what I learn in this process. If you want to invest in any of this, let me know. I could use your help.
