Matthias Biehl
API Strategist at Software AG
API Strategist at Software AG. Matthias empowers customers to discover their opportunities for innovation with APIs & ecosystems and turn them into actionable digital strategies. Based on his experience in leading large-scale API initiatives in both business and technology roles in banking, insurance, media, and telco, he shares best practices and provides strategic guidance. Matthias is the author of several books on APIs, and regularly speaks at technology conferences.
Recent posts
-
Integration & APIs -
Integration & APIs
How mega trends drive API adoption
When you stand at the foot of a high-rise building and you bend your neck to admire its height, you tend to forget that most of the engineering genius actually does not go into the very top. The most important part of high-rise buildings that often gets overlooked by the general public is the foundation of the building, the invisible… -
Integration & APIs
Developing an effective API-led banking strategy
If you’re a bank looking to digitize your services, you probably know that APIs are central to your future. As McKinsey underlines in its 2023 article "APIs in banking: From tech essential to business priority,” APIs have evolved in their role and importance, from a technical enabler to a business priority. A business priority needs to be driven by strategy. … -
Integration & APIs
Banking-as-a-Service: Why it pays for banks and brands to team up
Are you a small- or medium-sized bank looking for new ways to grow your business? If so, you’re likely familiar with the concept of banking-as-a-service. BaaS, as it’s commonly known, allows non-banks to embed financial services into their own products—whether a credit card “issued” by a retailer, personal finance software that integrates with users’ accounts or a money transfer service… -
Integration & APIs
Why API-based architectures excel in times of economic uncertainty
In January 2023, some of the world's economic, academic, and political leaders gathered in the small alpine village of Davos, Switzerland, to shape global, regional, and industry agendas. In 2023, this is not an easy task for the World Economic Forum, as there is no shortage of challenges for the global economy: high inflation, increasing interest rates, supply chain shortages,… -
Integration & APIs
Can your API design be too customer-centric?
In the last blog post, I showed that in the API economy, the success of APIs will be judged and determined by the customers of your API. One of the keys to success is focusing on the customer in the early stages of API design. In my opinion, there are no viable alternatives to this customer-centric approach to APIs. This… -
Integration & APIs
Don’t start with your API, start with your customers
API design is multi-dimensional, requiring you to consider both the business and the technology dimensions. Product management principles and techniques can help you juggle how an API is designed in both dimensions, so you don’t get lost in the weeds of just the technical aspects. But when considering the business benefits of an API, where exactly should you start? I… -
Integration & APIs
Designing APIs for the API economy is different — here is how
Most API providers spend a lot of time on the technical side of API design and implementation. They create a taxonomy for their domain, pick an architectural style, design the resources, create an OpenAPI specification, devise an API style guide and enforce technical governance of their APIs. They lint their API specs and automatically checking them for style guide conformance.… -
Integration & APIs
Do you still “copy-paste” between apps? If so, it’s time to stop.
“Copy-paste” is great. In fact, it’s probably the most widely used shortcut of any knowledge worker. It is the quick-and-easy way of teleporting data from one SaaS app to another in a couple of keystrokes. But if you copy and paste between the same apps on a daily basis, it can actually be a sign of inefficiency in your organization.… -
Integration & APIs
Are you strategic about API monetization?
In the last blog post I talked about an alternative to the well-known direct API monetization, called indirect API monetization. As I mentioned, to construct APIs that lend themselves to indirect API monetization, you can follow one of several patterns. But, if you want to make the most out of your API monetization opportunity, neither direct nor indirect API…
