Matthias Biehl

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

    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.  …

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  • 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…

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  • 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,…

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  • 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…

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  • 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…

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  • Dimensions of API Design
    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.…

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  • 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.…

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  • strategy
    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…

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  • Integration & APIs

    Don’t just monetize your APIs – do this instead

    "How can we make money with our APIs?” This is a question I get asked quite often when working with customers on their API strategy. For some, this question comes up when they are starting their API initiative - for others it comes up much later in their journey, after having grown their internal API portfolio and planning to selectively…

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  • Integration & APIs

    APIs under attack: upgrade your security now

    The API security threat is often underestimated, as an increasing amount of security incidents painfully testify.APIs are quickly becoming the primary attack vector for enterprise IT systems. Too many organizations are still unaware of the security implications for APIs, and are hit by surprise - don’t be one of them! Growing awareness for API security We know APIs are THE…

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