Can an API be too simple? Where is the balance between simplicity and complexity? What's the essence of an API? Are there some good samples of simplicity from 46elks' API?

1. 46elks
CONTACT
Johannes Lundberg
johannesl@46elks.com
+46704508449
”Can an API be too simple?”!
2014-05-05, at @APIDaysBerlin

2. @johannesl
!
jojo
Johannes Lundberg

3. 46elks

4. ,;MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM;,.
/MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM` `^´ `Q/^^MMMpcqMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM;, `^´ `VP YP´ `MM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDomm;,._ /M
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMP` _.,,=rRMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMP^^^^MMMM´ MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMP` '^^oMMMPP` ``´ MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMM´ ``MMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMM' 'QMMMMMM
MMM/` MMMMM
MM/_=o, ,/ _ `MMMM
MMMMMMM, /MM pMM,._ MMMM
MMMMMMMM, ,MMMM, pMMMMMMMX /MMMM
MMMMMMMMP AMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMm____.pMMMMMM
MMMMMMMP MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMM| ,.mPDMMMMMMMMpo., MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMM| ,mPMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDo MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMM| /MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMM| MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMDp,. `MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMP MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMP MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMM| `MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM| MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMPPDmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBYMMJOHANNESLMMOFMM46ELKSMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMP
`MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM`

5. Phone calls, SMS and MMS
for developers
in one easy API

6. Can an API be too simple?

7. API
An API business
An actual API
purpose + provider

8. Courtesy of @andreaskrohn
Business
relationship
Fullfillment
Potential
business impact
Realistic
business impact
PRIVATE
(CUSTOM)
Manual
(internal)
Manual None None
PRIVATE
(SELF-SERVE)
Automatic
(internal)
Automatic High
(for big companies)
Medium
PARTNER Manual Automatic High High
PUBLIC Automatic Automatic Very high Medium

9. Can an API be too simple?

10. Simple means:
!
easy to understand, deal with;
not complicated;
modest;

11. SIMPLE
..to integrate
..to learn
..to grow with

12. Simple for who?

13. Don’t

14. !
JSON vs XML …
Do this !

15. Too simple?

16. If in doubt,
leave it out !!

17. SIMPLE
..to maintain
..to monetize
..to replace

18. The essence of an API
Turning traditional complexity
into programatic simplicity.
!
For common use cases.

19. TELECOMTHE WEB
HTTP
Telia Sweden
Sonera FI
TDC Denmark
Telekom DE
Telenor NO
Tele2 Estonia
46elYour!
software
46elks
SIMPLICITY COMPLEXITY

20. <?php
!
if ($_GET[’message’] == ’ping’)
echo ’Server is up at ’.
date(’Y-m-d H:i:s’);
!
?>
Receiving an SMS and replying
HTTP POST
HTTP REPLY

21. {
"ivr": ”http://myserver.se/menu.mp3",
!
"1": {
"connect": "+461890510"
},
!
"2": {
"connect": "+461890511",
"recordcall": "http://myserver.se/save"
}
}
Sample IVR

22. Telia 0.049 €
Telenor 0.042 €
Telavox 0.070 €
Tele2 0.029 €
Tre 0.037 €
0.038 €
Sweden
9 %
11 %
12 %
31 %
38 %
Telia
Tele2
Tre
Tre
Per SMS to Sweden

23. Thank you!
@johannesl
@46elks