4 Tips for Startups Building on API Platforms

There's been plenty of tech news lately covering Twitter's boxing match with Meerkat, the live streaming mobile app. From cutting off social graph access during SXSW to Twitter's investors and CEO possibly encouraging celebrities to move off Meerkat - it's been a hard pill to swallow for app platforms & dev relations managers working hard to build community trust. Specifically as a smaller platform, it's a nightmare scenario for any startup to be slighted or shut down after spending time building on our APIs.

However, Twitter has every right to control how 3rd party apps interact and build on their platform. Their API terms of service allow for access changes as they see fit. In addition, let's be honest - if you are still building on Twitter's platform after Twitpic / Tweetbot / Datasift and related Twitter API uproars, you can't say there wasn't precedent for turf wars since their API was launched 9 years ago. It's not personal, it's simply business.

Bottom line is any API platform is going to struggle with finding balance between:

1. What is in the best interest of 3rd party developers
2. What is in the best interests and goals of our core business

There is no easy answer for these questions and it's often a tightrope. Many times a 3rd party app will build on our platform and be promoted in the Evernote App Center while our product team is building new features that naturally aim to improve our users' experience. Often I struggle to find that balance while being transparent to our developer community.

Here are 4 tips for startups working with API platform companies:

1. Evaluate the opportunity: Integrate with an API platform if it makes sense in terms of functionality, value exchange, and other clear goals. Measurable KPIs such as new user acquisition and long term value are built on great use cases that compliment both products.
2. Have perspective: Despite the best intentions, all API platforms must focus on long term survival and adding value for customers. If the API platform decides it must adapt and build features, be aware and prepared for head-on competition from the platform itself. Practical example: Evernote has 100s of great scanner apps on our API Platform but I also strongly support our own product Scannable, which launched to help our customers go paperless.
3. Prototype first: The worst conversations with startups begin with "We are thinking about building on your API, but what will you do for us..." The truth is I've been burned in the past by offering featuring and promotion to 3rd party apps prior to seeing a working integration. Conversations are better when there is something to demo or whiteboard out together.
4. Build a great product: Some will disagree, but my position is if Zynga could barely live on the Facebook platform alone - how can any startup expect to survive on one API platform? Make your app as useful as possible for your customers. Leverage an API integration if it helps acquire new users, engage users, or upsell to a paid offering. Don't put all your eggs in one basket...and by eggs I mean completely relying on another company's technology.

Hopefully some of these tips are helpful as you build great products that delight your new and existing customers. In terms of Evernote - I talk more in depth about what's worked for us, what hasn't, and what we can do better in the recent podcast interview by Seedcamp. link