API Communities

@TimFallscommunity guy

@SendGrid

Defrag 2011Nov 9-10

our discussion

sendgrid

community, generally speaking

api communities: why / what / how

what does it all mean for you!?

Webster says

[ecology] “a group of interdependent organisms of different species growing or living together in a specified habitat”

Community is:

“a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals”

communities:they come in all shapes and sizes

your neighbors + your hometown = a community

fans + teams = community

fans + bands = community

people + a cause = community

an awesome business + awesome customers = community

“Some organizations depend on their collective resources and complementary strengths to achieve a broad, far reaching goal.They thrive on the community that links them together - even if the community members have never met each other in person.”

“people who use the same tools to build software:

they create communities”

awesome developers + awesome API(s) = community

...?

yes

why?why does any community exist?

its members (groups & individuals) benefit from their involvement

they derive utility / value

they benefit socially + professionally

how?By creating symbiotic relationships, through which all organisms in the ecosystem feed off each others successes.

it starts with alignment of goals

it is made successful through

cooperation

social commerce

opportunities

the REAL “what?”everyone wins

the company

• revenue, happy users (customer retention), product adoption, respect, appreciation, support

the developers/customer

• ease of use, simpler life, job well done, $ savings, less stress, increased productivity, revenue, props

results

as the community builder, you must:a) be willing to devote resources, lots of them b) watch, analyze, adjust and repeatthings to track:exposure - how many people do you reach? online and offlinesales - new customers/users - free or paidusage - API calls, emails sent, apps builtsentiment - what are people saying?

who?the customers

developers, employing companies/startups, community members, open source code contributors

the company

employees, leaders, investors, founders

economy

competition: the advancement of the technology, industry, and marketplace, in general

takeaways

1. evaluate2. recognize3. act

me

questions / comments

@timfalls

timfalls.me