API Evangelist in 2013

by Kin Lane on 01/01/2013

After looking back at 2012, I wanted a January 1, 2013 blog post for my blogs. My first blog post of 2012 was my tour schedule for January, 2012. While it was a pretty busy time for evangelizing and hackathons, I wanted something a little deeper. I’m not sure what, but I will play with the format year to year, until I find what I’m looking for.

Every year I rewrite my bio, based upon where I am in my life. I’ve been doing this since 2009. This year I will write inaugural blog posts along with my bio reworking, and post to each of my active blogs. We’ll see if it resonates again in 12 months, and I do it again in 2014.

API Evangelist is my obsession. I started the blog in summer of 2012, in an effort to reinvent myself and find a career path that didn’t just make sense for me, but also was something that would be around in a couple, while also returning something to society.

I believe API Evangelist is on course to do just this. While focusing on the business of APIs, I am able to satisfy my sometimes ADD personality with a diverse range of subject areas ranging from social to the internet of things. And by telling stories of the best practices in APIs, I’m able to help provide much needed information to people planning, deploying and managing APIs in critical sectors like government, education and healthcare.

In 2010 when I began, it was clear to me that the technology of APIs was here to say, but there was a lot to learn when it came to the business of APIs, and evangelizing the value of APIs beyond developer community and Silicon Valley. Two and half years later I feel that the business of APIs is progressing and much of the success I’ve highlighted in the space is catching on with mainstream companies, with many business sectors are waking up to the potential.

In 2012 I felt an awakening. An awakening that APIs exist, and the potential they possess in industries from telecommunications to government. This wasn’t just in the U.S. I talked with people from France to Brazil about the importance of APIs. Sitting here on January 1st, 2013, I feel we are on the verge of a pivotal year in APIs.

While APIs time has definitely come, there are many paths we can take from here when it comes to terms of use, business models or decisions around hypermedia that could benefit or severely damage the potential APIs can deliver.

To quote a friend of mine, APIs are very tactical. And because of this, I don’t think we can make predictions. As API owners you can just focus on what you do best, solve your problems in real-time--while also making sure to look up from time to time and get your bearings in respect to the rest of the space and your industry.

I also hope as an API Evangelist I can maintain an awareness of the overall space, and provide news and analysis here at API Evangelist that will help you in your efforts. If you feel your story might help someone else in the space, make sure and reach out to me so I can help you get it out.

Happy New Year! Hang on, it is going to be an exciting year for APIs.