Require that every API begins with a design-first contract, an OpenAPI definition authored and agreed upon before a single line of implementation code is written. I have watched too many teams code an API into existence and then reverse-engineer a spec to match, and it always shows in the seams. When we lead with the contract, product, engineering, and consumers can all react to the same source of truth early, mock against it, and catch expensive design mistakes while they are still cheap to fix. This is the discipline that makes fast, predictable delivery possible instead of a hopeful accident.
API First (Design)
Strategies
API Delivery Is Fast and Design-First
API delivery must follow a design-first approach with mock servers, contract testing, and schema registries that enable parallel development, allowing consumers to begin integration before implemen...
Experiences
Contracts
Every API is a contract, and the contract experience is about how clearly the promises between provider and consumer are expressed. Technical contracts like OpenAPI and AsyncAPI describe what the A...
Velocity
Velocity is the experience of how quickly teams can deliver and evolve APIs, and how quickly consumers can build with them. It comes from automation, good tooling, design-first practices, and remov...
Consistency
Achieving consistency in the design, delivery, and maintenance of HTTP APIs across an enterprise is a significant challenge—one that often complicates API operations. Small differences, such as var...
Lifecycle
design_services Design Design
Design is where the human experience of an API is won or lost. I work design-first, shaping the paths, schema, errors, and naming in the contract before development begins, so that consistency is b...
