LG 6-2: Explain relevance of loosely coupled for APIs as a product

[sippsack]

discussion from #39:

@thfro: How is being "loosely coupled" relevant for the question whether I manage something as a product?

[dret]

It's important because you can then more freely change the product without negative effects for existing consumers. If every change is breaking things, you will become more hesitant to make changes (and rightly so).

[dret]

@thfro, is that enough in terms of answering your question, or do you think we should change something in the curriculum?

[sippsack]

Maybe we should clarify the connection between loosely coupled and APIs as products. But we can do this also after the first release.

I asked ChatGPT and got the following answers:

The connection between loosely coupled scenarios and API product management arises from several aspects:

Independent Development Teams
In loosely coupled architectures, different teams often work independently. Managing an API as a product ensures clear contracts, documentation, and versioning so that other teams can rely on it—similar to an external service provider.

Clearly Defined Target Audiences
Since APIs in loosely coupled scenarios are used by various consumers (e.g., external partners, internal teams, or different systems within a company), it is crucial to tailor the API to their needs. Product management involves identifying user groups and optimizing the API for them.

Usability and Feedback
APIs should not only function technically but also be easy to use. Managing an API as a product means collecting usage data, gathering feedback from developers, and iteratively improving it—similar to commercial software.

Lifecycle Management and Deprecation
In loosely coupled scenarios, many API consumers exist whose development cannot be directly controlled. Therefore, changes must be introduced carefully, deprecated APIs must be phased out properly, and migration paths to new versions must be provided.

Economic Viability and Value Creation
APIs can be considered standalone products within an organization, delivering value—either internally through efficiency gains or externally through monetization. API product management ensures that investments in APIs are targeted and generate real value for users.

Loosely coupled systems require APIs to be treated as standalone products because they are not directly controlled by the API-developing organization. Instead, they must remain stable, understandable, and usable for a heterogeneous user base.

[dret]

On 2025-02-17 16:02, Falk Sippach wrote: Maybe we should clarify the connection between loosely coupled and APIs as products. But we can do this also after the first release.

Sounds good to me.

I asked ChatGPT and got the following answers:

Not too bad but pretty noisy. In the end it boils down to the fact that as a product provider you have not much control over your consumers, but you still want to make sure that you can improve the product without disrupting existing consumers.