Alexandra Spalato — Developer Relations Engineer at Storyblok.com
Remix: Embracing Web Standards to Redefine Modern Web Development
September 5, 2023
14:45
Web standards
🇬🇧 English
Web standards
Understanding API-based platforms, A Guide For Product Managers
About
API-based solutions are becoming a critical building block of modern digital products. What are they? How can they impact your design process? Finally, how to evaluate them without bothering your software team (too much)?
Watch the full talk
Watch this WaysConf session, then continue with related talks or explore the current programme.
From the recording
Talk in brief
In this WaysConf 2023 session, Kasjan Kotynia, Lead Technical Account Manager at Voucherify, delivers a practical guide for product managers on evaluating and adopting API-based platforms. Kotynia explains how offloading non-core backend logic—such as promotion engines, product search, and content management—to specialized headless services reduces engineering overhead, lowers maintenance costs, and accelerates time to market. Drawing an analogy between API calls and ordering food at a restaurant, he shows how external services hide underlying operational complexity. Using a real-time weather-triggered promo example combining Open-Meteo and Voucherify, Kotynia demonstrates how modular microservice architectures enable targeted business logic with minimal custom code. He addresses risk management topics including GDPR compliance, vendor continuity, and ISO certification, while providing a structured framework for evaluating API tools through MACH Alliance resources and proof-of-concept testing.
Key takeaways
- 01
Differentiate Core Value from Generic Technical Overhead
Product teams often spend excessive resources rebuilding standard backend logic rather than focusing on unique company value. Offloading non-differentiating features like promo engines or search tools to external APIs lowers upfront investment and speeds up product launches.
Watch from 7:44 - 02
API Services Fit Naturally into Microservice Architecture
Modern application architectures separate backend responsibilities into discrete microservices, making external API providers function just like internal components. This modular structure allows teams to upgrade or swap individual tools without refactoring the whole application.
Watch from 15:52 - 03
Chain Specialized APIs to Automate Complex Workflows
Connecting multiple external API endpoints allows organizations to construct dynamic automated workflows with minimal backend code. For instance, querying a live weather API can directly trigger context-aware rules in a promotional engine.
Watch from 19:04 - 04
Mitigate Third-Party Risks through GDPR and Continuity Standards
Data privacy and vendor stability concerns can be systematically addressed by selecting ISO 27001-certified providers and utilizing data anonymization strategies. Reviewing vendor business continuity plans ensures long-term operational safety.
Watch from 22:17 - 05
Validate Integration Feasibility with Time-Boxed Proofs of Concept
Product managers should evaluate API platforms by building a 1-to-2-week proof of concept before committing to long-term software contracts. Short trial builds uncover real integration complexity, API limits, and vendor support responsiveness.
Watch from 30:57
Read edited transcript highlights
These concise notes were edited from automatic captions and checked against the talk structure. They are not a verbatim transcript.
Re-Evaluating Build Versus Buy for Backend Logic
Product organizations regularly adopt software-as-a-service platforms like Jira, Salesforce, or Slack rather than building custom internal productivity tools. The exact same strategy applies to software architecture logic. Rather than allocating engineering resources to construct standard features like search systems or coupon engines, product teams can rely on specialized external APIs. This approach provides mature domain capabilities out of the box while keeping overall development and operational expenses down.
Watch from 7:44Illustrating API Abstraction via the Restaurant Metaphor
Using an API service is similar to visiting a restaurant. A diner reviews a menu, places an order with a waiter, and receives their food. The waiter acts as the interface conveying the request to the kitchen team, while the kitchen operates as an abstracted backend service. The diner does not need to know the specific staff, equipment, or culinary methods used inside the kitchen to enjoy the meal. In the same way, API platforms handle complex background logic and return formatted results directly to your application.
Watch from 10:18Assembling Web Applications Using Modular API Ecosystems
Modern digital products rarely rely on single monolithic backends, preferring modular architectures composed of specialized microservices. Development teams can integrate dedicated services such as Algolia for site search, Commercetools or Emporix for cart management, Contentful for headless CMS capabilities, Voucherify for promotional campaigns, and HubSpot or Braze for user messaging. Assembling these dedicated platforms lets companies launch robust web applications faster without building every underlying component from scratch.
Watch from 17:13Executing a Weather-Dependent Dynamic Promotion Pipeline
To demonstrate how distinct API platforms work together, imagine an automated promotion tied to live weather conditions. An application first queries Open-Meteo's endpoint for current weather data in Krakow. If the payload indicates heavy rain, the application passes that status to Voucherify. Voucherify processes the business rules and returns a discount for waterproof ponchos, enabling the frontend interface to instantly display targeted promotional banners without custom backend logic.
Watch from 19:01Evaluating API Vendors Through Proofs of Concept and MACH Frameworks
When assessing third-party API solutions, product managers should define clear goals, audit missing functionality, and review industry directories like the MACH Alliance. Beyond reviewing pricing plans and request limits, teams should run a short proof-of-concept build lasting one or two Sprints. Testing real integrations during a trial period confirms developer experience, support quality, and actual platform behavior before making long-term vendor commitments.
Watch from 24:52Handling Feature Gaps and Vendor Product Evolution
Integrating third-party APIs can surface gaps between out-of-the-box vendor capabilities and specific client requirements. When an essential feature is initially missing—such as combining multiple gift vouchers with discount coupons—the vendor evaluates whether to expand its core service. High-performing API platforms rely on customer feedback to continuously upgrade their product capabilities, making sure new use cases are built directly into standard releases over time.
Watch from 33:11
Jarosław Michalik — Mobile dev consultant, Kotlin GDE at michalik.tech
State of mobile cross platform development
September 5, 2023
14:10
Web standards
🇬🇧 English
Marcin Fortuniak — Backend Team Leader at G-Group.dev
Michał Kurkowski — COO & Tech Lead at G-Group.dev
AI-Transformation: Building AI-tools for Business Using the Newest Technology Breakouts
September 5, 2023
13:45
Web standards
🇬🇧 English
Explore WaysConf 2026
