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Creating a startup nowadays is like playing Lego.
And each Lego piece is an API.
APIs are the foundation of the modern tech economy. And the future.
In fact, 83% of web traffic is now API traffic.
Wait, what's an API?
API is a software intermediary that allows different applications to communicate with each other.
Here's an example:
Before, you had to build everything yourself.
If you wanted your customers to pay in your app, you had to code the entire payment section.
Now, by using Stripe's API, your payment section is complete within minutes.
There are APIs for everything: accounting, data management, privacy, communication, Twitter, Facebook, Salesforce, etc.
APIs solve complex problems with just a couple lines of code. They also tend to solve niche but critical problems.
So what does all this mean?
We're in a new era where you can spend less time writing code for everything. Simply connect with different APIs to create your business.
Sort of like Lego.
So then Uber can use:
Uber can now focus on their core technology - matching the rider and the driver.
By focusing on their core technology, startups can bring more value to customers - while being faster at a lower cost.
APIs democratize creation.
API use cases will continue to grow and thus fuel the Low-Code movement.
APIs will also become easier to implement (especially for non-technical people!)
Companies have emerged as the "picks and shovels" of the API economy. Kong helps companies manage their APIs. Salt Security protects APIs. And Rapid API is a marketplace for APIs. What other solutions will there be to support the growing API economy?
There are niche APIs like: flight data, memes, and paraphrasing. Is there a niche that you could create an API for? Or could you use a niche API to build something?
Companies currently have full control over their APIs. For example, Linkedin shut down access to most of its APIs after it got too popular. However, there is a new wave of API that uses the blockchain. The blockchain decentralizes the API economy so that there is no single entity that owns the data. This allows information to be trusted and free flowing. What can you do to capitalize on this trend?
Become "The API Guy". You can consult companies on how to better use API to grow their business (ie. automation, efficiency, etc) . Companies like Good API offer such services.
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