soundcloud platform do:s and don't:s at how to web 2011

SoundCloud PlatformDo:s and Don’t:s

Eric Wahlforss CTO/SoundCloudHow To Web Bucharest 2011

http://snd.sc/qHcYR0

soundcloud.com/ericsoundcloud.com/forss

SoundCloud

Site & Apps

Platform

What is an API?Application Programming Interface ≈ Platform

Computers talking to each other

Exchange and manipulation of data

Essential part of the web’s success

Adam Smith’s wet dream

Hyper division of labour...

Adam Smith (1723-1790)

... and a network economy

developers.soundcloud.com

avid.com

Pro Tools 10

cakewalk.com/products/sonar

Cakewalk SONAR X1

Thinglink

thinglink.com

Onesheet

onesheet.com

Radio Free

stockholm.musichackday.org

Why API?Allow people to use their own data...

... empower people–everybody loves talking about stuff that empowers them ...

... which spreads the word about your service

Developer community–the ultimate power users

Extend your application–solve niche use cases

Conceptual clarity–the essence of your serviceInspired by http://strange.corante.com/2006/02/08/fowa-ten-reasons-why-you-need-to-build-an-api-shaun-inman

and http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2010/08/the-new-api-movement-may.php

API Do:s and Don’t:s

Do KISS

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3018-api-design-for-humans

“Time to integration”

Time

Effortin days

Plain vanilla API7 days

API Wrapper4 days

Great docs3 days

Sharekit1 day

Do think about scalability

@lenberg

Do watch your metrics

Do communicate

MOST IMPORTANT STEP FOR BUILD PRODUCT IS BUILD PRODUCT. 

SECOND MOST IMPORTANT IS BUILD PERSONALITY FOR PRODUCT. 

http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2011/09/minimum-viable-personality.html

Do write kick-ass docs

Do talk about shiny new things!

Don’t pay people

Do eat your own dogfood

Inspired by http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2010/08/the-new-api-movement-may.php

Don’t change

Do engage the community

http://mulqueeny.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/whats-the-point-of-a-hack-day/

Do BizDev 1.0->1.5->2.0

http://cdixon.org/2010/08/28/good-bizdev-cannabilizies-itself/

http://caterina.net/archive/000996.html

Do failDo iterateDo failDo iterateDo failDo iterate

Thanks!eric@soundcloud.com

twitter.com/ericwsoundcloud.com/ericsoundcloud.com/forss

We’re hiring :)soundcloud.com/jobs