I just added Postman and Open Collections to APIs.io. I’ve added most of the specifications that matter to APIs.io over the last month. What a spectrum. What a lot of overlap. What a lot of volatility, and selfish reasoning behind all of the YAML and JSON artifacts that make up how we integrate and automate our digital and physical worlds.
Every time I see a new spec I always ask two things. First, did they spend the time doing the due diligence about what else already exists before they considered adding a new spec? Second, what are the business and politics of this spec, looking beyond the technical aspirations to the deeper motivations behind it and the games being played? I know the Postman and Open Collections business and politics all too well, but when it comes to MCP, A2A, and other emerging skills, I always have some learning to do and reading in between the lines.
When I look at all the specifications I support with APIs.io, I mentally see a Venn diagram of true added value, but also of grasping for power and control over the digital bits that power our worlds. I really enjoy learning what already is. I’ve gotten so intimate with OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, and JSON Schema that I crave the same level of understanding with OpenAPI Overlays, Arazzo, MCP, and Agent Skills. I know from experience that this takes time and work. I know that understanding the nuance of MCP only comes from applying it across many different implementations, and going as deep as I can on specific implementations like I am doing for the APIs.io and API Evangelist MCP servers.
I am pleasantly surprised that the one specification I have contributed is still unique after over a decade. It isn’t as widely adopted as I envisioned all those years ago, but it truly solves a set of problems that aren’t solved by other specs. I am beginning to see the value that gRPC and GraphQL bring to the table, in spite of years of mismarketing these solutions by their champions. It is interesting to consider all of these specifications in the face of artificial intelligence, as well as the history of all the artifacts that actually power our worlds. I am still very interested in the design potential of MCP and the process opportunities with Agent Skills, but I am less optimistic about how they will shape things than others in the space.
I’d love to get more insight into the brain power and conversations going into MCP. I’ve had front row seats for OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, and JSON Schema, as well as OpenAPI Overlays and Arazzo, but MCP feels very distant. I’d love to learn more about the personalities behind it, and how they see the world. I am still fascinated by the Postman versus Open Collections skirmish, but I feel that MCP and Agent Skills are where the most drama will occur in the coming months, based on my weekly assessment of the tech blogosphere while crafting my API Evangelist newsletter. The personalities very much shape the business and politics of this, and will define the future much more than the technical details will.
