driving developers to your api

DRIVING DEVELOPERS TO YOUR

API

Carlo Longino

VP Developer Program Services

carlo@wip.org

November 12, 2014

Apps World London

About WIP Factory

• The first B2D marketing

agency

• Strategic consulting and

outreach services

• API providers, platform

vendors, device makers,

developer programs of all

stripes© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Agenda

• The API landscape

• Targeting and segmenting developers

• The importance of onboarding

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

What do we want from our APIs?

Increased revenue

Lower

costs

New

users

Faster

time to

market

Stickiness

/lock-inWider

content spread

Lead

generation

Increased

traffic

INNOVATION

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

What we are really asking is:

What do we want developers

to do with our APIs?

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

What is the landscape like?

Millions of

developers

From Flickr user jamescridland

Thousands of

APIs

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

How Many Developers?

• IDC: 18.5 million Software Developers

• EDC: 18.2 million Developers

• Plumbre: 43 million Software developers https://plumbr.eu/blog/how-many-java-developers-in-the-world

• Stackoverflow: 26.9 million monthly Visitors

• WIP: Over 50% of developers visit SO every

week → Developers=>50 million

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Last week:

12,282

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

What this means for your API program:

You need to focus on the right developers.

You need to convince them to invest their currency – time – in your APIs.

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Targeting “All

Developers”

is not an effective strategy.

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

http://onebigphoto.com/a-long-tail-of-stingray/

“We’re targeting the Long Tail.”

That’s doesn’t work either -- still too broad.

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Developers come in many

different colors.

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Technical Factors

Android iOS

Frontend Backend

Developer Designer

Java C++

Mac PC

Web Mobile

Eclipse Visual Studio

Human Factors

Individuals Companies

Internal External

Coder Suit

Big Company Small Company

Indie Agency

Hobbyist Pro

Enterprise Consumer

You don’t have unlimited resources.Filter & group based on relevant characteristics.

Each needs different services, support, marketing messages and activities.

Developers aren’t all the same.

Developer marketing truths:

There are many types of developers.

Which are most important for you?

Different groups of developers

have different needs and desires.

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Once you have the right group,

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Set them off to the races!

What developers are looking for from you*

*(beyond a product/service that fulfills a need)© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Credibility Support Success

• Do they know what

they’re talking about?

• Can I trust their claims?

• Can I help myself?

• When something goes

wrong, can it get fixed?

• Can they deliver a win?

How developers find these

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Typical

“marketing”

channels and

activities

By using

– or attempting

to use –

your product

Onboarding

• The process of getting a developer to use your

product or service

• Post-awareness, exploration, getting started,

learning, going live, using your stuff

• Ask a dev: “Sounds like waterboarding”

– Because too often, it is

Why is it so important?

• It’s crucial to minimize the

hurdles/obstacles/friction between getting

started and going live

• This is where you will lose the most developers

from your program

• It’s also something you have a lot of control

over!

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

First Impression

• Understand WHO they are, and

the timing and context around

their needs.

• Who is this for?

• What does it do?

• What’s in it for me?

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Product Messaging

• Expand on the

value proposition

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Why would I

use this

product?

Why is it better

than other

solutions?

Why does it

deserve my

time?

Where’s

my win?

Examples and Case Studies

• Show developers how it’s working, rather than

telling them.

• Builds understanding and credibility

• Focus on speaking to the right context

• Show the benefits

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Registration

• Your best chance to screw

things up!

• Ask for as little info as

necessary

• Being able to use the

tool/API/SDK/code is part of

the learning and decision-

making process© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Getting Started

• What is your Time To First

Hello World?

• How quickly can

developers see results?

• Do you have a bulletproof

Quick Start Guide?

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

“You'd use these to hand-write your

computer programs. In pencil.”

“The next day you could find out if

your code compiled or not.”

http://simonallardice.com/general/2014/03/17/first-computer.html

Docs and Support

• Get the content correct & and make it easy to use

• No PDFs, DOCs, use HTML

• Make your search work

• Don’t hide behind logins

• Don’t forget code samples, and demos

• Forums – meh… - go where developers go

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

Libraries and SDKs

• Create the right ones for your users

• Link to outside libraries and open-source projects

• Creates currency with community, as well as supports developers

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

To Sum Up

1. Find the right developers.

2. Understand what they want and need.

3. Light the way for them, and help them down the

path.

4. Manage your expectations.

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

© Wireless Industry Partnership Connector Inc.

INNOVATIONStarts with Developers

Let us Build your Developer EcosystemStrategy, Onboarding, Outreach, Events

Carlo Longino, VP of Developer Program Services

carlo@wip.org

Community: www.wip.org

Agency: www.wipfactory.com

Vancouver, Canada – Austin, USA – Barcelona, Spain