I’m working on a number of API courses and lessons lately. Some of these are API 101 courses, while others are more advanced courses for the seasoned API provider, and consumer. As I think about what is needed when it comes to classes and workshops across the API sector, I’m considering doing an API Kindergarten series, where business and IT leaders can learn the basics of doing business with APIs.
The curriculum for the API kindergarten program include hands on lessons on how to play nicely, get along with others, the importance of sharing, and helping them learn the important soft skills like not shitting your pants. I’m always surprised at the lack of basic skills by company, organizational, institutional, and government leadership when it comes to the essentials of why APIs work, and think a little primer on things might help some realize they shouldn’t be doing APIs in the first place, or maybe prevent some major crisis down the road.
The number of folks who tell me directly that they are all in on this API thing, yet when it comes to practice clearly are not has grown significantly in 2017. I feel like we need a whole series or curriculum to help make sure business and IT leadership is up for the challenge is desperately needed. Just wait, until I begin working on my sex edit course for the middle schoolers, where we teach them about safely integrating, and what is appropriate API behavior, and what is not. Honestly, I could spend days finding equivalences between the real world and doing APIs (not real world) and creating classes around them–fun stuff!
