Connect your RESTful API to hundreds of others in minutes (Zapier and other

Integration Platforms)Sean Matthews, Left Hook Digital

• Co-Founder & Managing Partner• Entrepreneur First• Philosophy Major **

– No formal Programming Training• Multiple years experience on both sides

of the equation (API Consumer, API Provider)

About Me (or “Why you should listen to me”)

About Left Hook Digital (The stats!)• 15+ Public API Connectors on 3+ Integration Platforms

over the past 2+ years• 30+ Private API Connectors on same Platforms• 30+ Integration Platforms tracked in our Discovery API

– lefthookdigital.com/discovery• 100+ APIs reviewed or programmed for• 15+ SMB clients serviced for Business Process and

Workflow Automation

About You (Just kidding. But who are you?)

• SMB SaaS Devs/team members• Enterprise SaaS Devs/team members• Enterprise IT Devs/Management• Product Managers• API and MicroServices Consultants• Developers Best Friends (Dev Tools)

• Distribution Strategy for my API?• So many options!

– Direct/Native (point to point)– App Marketplace (yours, theirs)– Integration Platforms (iPaaS or Int. Platforms… vote!)

• Use Case First thinking• API Design concerns for future distribution• Workshop! Demo! Prove it!

The Takeaways (or “what should should learn”)

• Distribution Strategy for my API?• So many options!

– Direct/Native (point to point)– App Marketplace (yours, theirs)– Integration Platforms (iPaaS or Int. Platforms… vote!)

• Use Case First thinking• API Design concerns for future distribution• Workshop! Demo! Prove it!

The Takeaways (or “what should should learn”)

API Distribution Strategy/ Integration Strategy

Key Questions• Metrics for API Success• Who are my users?• Of those users, who do I want to empower with my API?• What’s my value add?• What are the rich use cases now unlocked?

Available Distribution Channels• Developer Targeting

– Landing Page :-) (aka, your documentation)– ProgrammableWeb– Press Release– Community Blog Posts (Postman, PW, etc.)

• Direct Integrations– Partnerships

• App Marketplaces– Yours– Theirs

• Integration Platforms

What’s in a name? Quick Definition

Many different types of integration platforms• 3rd Party Tool (user login, often paid)• Allows/Empowers user with low-code/no-code

environment to manage data flow between software systems

Source: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/minimalit/minimal-integration-7-pointtopoint-hub-or-bus-6527

Gimme Visuals

Why Integration Platforms?

• Central place to manage all integrations• Connect once, connect to all available• Paid support with stable architecture, no

developer reliance• Empower non-developer

BIP (Before Integration Platforms)

AIP (After Integration Platforms)

Empower the non-developer

There are a lot of smart people out in the world who would love to expand on your app/service and leverage your API but who don’t want to learn Nodejs, HTTP request verbs, OAuth2.0, C#, or managing and hosting a server to do so.

Why not Integration Platforms?

• Customer Customer Customer• Limited use cases• Acute need best solved elsewhere• Too many choices!

• Segment• Sky Via• SnapLogic• StackStorm• Stamplay• Stringify• TIBCO ActiveMatrix• Tray.io• UnifiedVu• Workato• XPlenty• Youredi• Zapier

• Microsoft Azure• Microsoft Flow• MuleSoft• One SaaS• Piesync• Pipethru• Podbox• Proces IO• RapidAPI• SaaSler• SAP HANA Cloud

Platform• SAS Data Management

Platform• Scribe Soft

• Denodo Platform• DSync• elastic.io• Fabric8 IO• Flex.io• Flow Gear• Flow XO• i2Factory• IBM App Connect• IFTTT• Informatica• Information Builders• Integrator.io• Integromat• JitterBit

• Actian• Adaptris Interlok• Adeptia Connect• APIant• Automate.io• Azuqua• Bedrock Data• Built.io• CData.com• Cisco Integration Platform• Cloud Elements• Cloudpipes• Cloudwork• DBSync• Decisions.com• Dell Boomi

Who are the Platforms?

Good Luck!

Which ones let you build?Platform Target User Base

Zapier SMBs, Non-technical

IFTTT Consumer/Prosumer, non-technical

Cloud Elements Enterprise IT, App Developers

MuleSoft Enterprise IT

Azuqua Enterprise IT

Workato SMB/SME IT, Savvy non-technical

Microsoft Flow | Power Apps | Azure Logic Apps Non-technical | SME IT | SME IT/Developer

Built.io/Flow SMBs IT/low-technical > Enterprise Technical

• Distribution Strategy for my API?• So many options!

– Direct/Native (point to point)– App Marketplace (yours, theirs)– Integration Platforms (iPaaS or Int. Platforms… vote!)

• Use Case First thinking• Workshop! Demo! Prove it!• API Design concerns for future distribution

Carrying on...

Use Case First Thinking

How do the Platforms think of APIs?• API Connectors exist on every platform by some

similar name.

• Zapier = Apps, Cloud Elements = Elements, Bedrock Data, Workato, Azuqua = Connectors, Workato, etc.

• All Connectors are not created equal

Triggers, Actions, Searches or Finds

Triggers = Data Out, Events, etcActions = Data In, Workflow etc.Searches/Finds = Query

Trigger Types

1. Polling2. Webhook/RESThook/Callback3. Chron/Schedule (usually system based)

Playbook- Step 1, Use CasesCUSTOMER FIRST• What data or workflows do you want to enable for your

users?• What are they asking for?

Get statements!“Whenever someone submits this Survey, add them to my CRM and then send me a Slack message”

Step 2- Break it into composite parts“Whenever someone submits this Survey, add them to my CRM and then send me a Slack message”Becomes“New Survey Response” Trigger > “Add New Contact” Action > “Send Slack Message” Action

Step 3- Evaluate API

After you’ve broken up the statements into composite parts and determined all of your needed TSAs…

Test the API for each!You may need to line up more development work :-)

Step 4- Double check existing Apps!

Getting your App built is important.

But make sure the target external Apps have all of the TSAs needed to satisfy the desired flows!

Step 5- Build :-)

• Distribution Strategy for my API?• So many options!

– Direct/Native (point to point)– App Marketplace (yours, theirs)– Integration Platforms (iPaaS or Int. Platforms… vote!)

• Use Case First thinking• Workshop! Demo! Prove it!• API Design concerns for future distribution

Carrying on...

DEMO

I manage a development and design shop, using Teamwork as my project management tool.

I want to get a Slack notification every time someone completes a task, and I want to be able to customize it (out of the box integration doesn’t cut it for me)

Playbook- Step 1, Use Cases

Step 2- Break it into composite parts“I want to get a Slack notification every time someone completes a task...”

Becomes

“Task Completed” Trigger > “Send Slack Message” Action

• Ooo Webhooks!• Let’s go to Postman• Complete a Task• Did it come in?

Step 3- Evaluate API

Slack- Has the messages!

Step 4- Double check existing Apps!

Step 5- Build :-)

• Distribution Strategy for my API?• So many options!

– Direct/Native (point to point)– App Marketplace (yours, theirs)– Integration Platforms (iPaaS or Int. Platforms… vote!)

• Use Case First thinking• Workshop! Demo! Prove it!• API Design concerns for future distribution

Carrying on...

API Design Considerations

Top Concerns

1. Authentication2. Polling Triggers vs. Webhooks3. Sortable and filterable!4. Return helpful/useful data5. Please think of the childr-- err, errors!

The End!

Contact: sean@lefthook.coWebsite: lefthookdigital.com