Finding comfort where we overlap
During last some weeks I have been in discussions with various partners and customers in Europe, Asia and USA region about APIs and trying to understand their challenges and problems. I started to ponder about how APInf and APIOps® journey started and what was the trigger. Then I start to discuss with Jarkko and went back in the memory lane to recollect our motivations at that point of time. We decided to share the reasons of why we decided to build APIOps® community and what triggered it. Because this is very relevant for every service and every product.
Independent enthusiasts solving customer problems
Back in 2015 when APInf was in the early stages, we perceived and treated APIs as products. We slowly start to even realize that APIs have the same problems as any product and service has. We started educating our customers about this and tried to help them to solve this. But APInf cannot solve all the problems in the area of APIs and we need to focus. I had many discussions with Jarkko and we met many times about this topic. I thought from the point of view of solving my customers problems in the most efficient manner and Jarkko started to think about how to effectively involve external enthusiasts to solve the customer problems. Jarkko being a community person and who has already having an active community APISuomi, proposed that we start to build a global community. Initially I hesitated but then after even more discussions with Jarkko, the puzzle was totally solved in my head and I immediately start to beleive in APIOps concept and to build a community around it. As the quote from Richard M. Stallman, “If you focus your mind on the freedom and community that you can build by staying firm, you will find the strength to do it” we also found resources and strength to launch it.
Then we started to build APIOps® community together with Jarkko. APInf took a catalyst role and committed to invest effort to build the community and took initiative wherever it is needed.
APInf was immediately able to offer to its customers the early adopters of APIs, who are honest, independent and brutal. It has exceeded APInf’s expectations in the bringing value to our customers. APIOps® Community has started to pick up fast and became global in 2016 and it is accelerating in 2017 with much more speed than ever before. We even were able to recruit some active personnel who were involved in APIOps® community. Even though APInf was the biggest and active contributor, we were able keep it neutral and encouraged even our competitors to be present in the community.
Stronger with contributions
Now I am really happy to see that the organizations like Digia, Futurice, Vincit, KWorks Innovations, Microsoft, TAMK & TUT are joinig APInf in actively contributing innovative processes and their knowledge to APIOps® community.
This is what we wished for back in 2015 and I have a full confidence that APIOps® will become the biggest independent community in the world in coming years as our customers continue to realize benefits. I welcome everyone individual or company who has any kind of interest in APIs please join APIOps® community, because as Ani DiFranco mentioned, “I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap”.
