If you want more insights about the things discussed here, there's an interview that Mark Suster did with Joel Spolsky last year where they talk about the "API

If you want more insights about the things discussed here, there's an interview that Mark Suster did with Joel Spolsky last year where they talk about the "API wars": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZWBtfSBlp8#t=2240s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZWBtfSBlp8#t=2240s They cover everything from the early days of Excel's API to the downfall of myspace and the rise of YouTube and Photobucket, and how twitter took off. It's worth your time.