soundcloud platform do:s and don't:s at how to web 2011
TRANSCRIPT
SoundCloud PlatformDo:s and Don’t:s
Eric Wahlforss CTO/SoundCloudHow To Web Bucharest 2011
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
twitter.com/ericwsoundcloud.com/ericsoundcloud.com/forss
We’re hiring :)soundcloud.com/jobs