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It's a shame. But having watched a few companies shut down APIs (including my own work at Google) I've learned the hard way that unless an API is central to a c
by NelsonMinar 14y ago
It's a shame. But having watched a few companies shut down APIs (including my own work at Google) I've learned the hard way that unless an API is central to a company's business success, it's eventually going to become a business problem.
- swalsh 14y agoDon't build a business on anything that doesn't cost you money.
- jonknee 14y agoPaid APIs and services get the axe too.
- raverbashing 14y agoOr better, don't build a business that depends on an irreplaceable product/company.
- mesozoic 14y agoI believe this is the appropriate concern. If your business would critically fail with no alternatives should a supplier back out you have a major problem, this same lesson applies to most any business.
- gioele 14y agoDon't build a business on an API whose backend you cannot change at will. Same goes for protocols (Facebook Login vs OpenID), format (DOC vs ODT) and data sources (Gracenote vs MusicBrainz). If you cannot replace a service that is behind an API with your own implementation, you must be ready to fold your business the day your provider changes the service terms.