5 Reasons Why Startups Should Embrace Third-Party APIs

When starting a business considering a third-party Application programming interface (API) for parts of your development or product features may be the way to go. Today, there are thousands of API’s that allow organizations to leverage work that someone else has already done, making it easier and less costly to start your business. For example, many companies use third-party APIs for fax functionalities, chat providers, payment systems, data analytics, mapping, storage, etc. Here are five reasons startups should embrace third-party APIs and can use them to their advantage.

1. Knowledge – Using a third-party API allows you to benefit from the knowledge of others. It’s difficult to produce something that is outside of your expertise or the focus of your business. In this instance, a third-party API is an excellent way to go.
2. Speed – Deadlines are typically pretty tight for startups, and creating new tools and software is very time intensive. Using a third-party API for functionalities that already exist is a very simple solution that will decrease time to market and allows for days integrating, rather than months building.
3. Costs – The cost of organizing and developing in-house can be quite extreme, especially when building from scratch. When working with a third-party API, you pay a license fee, address security concerns, and integrate it into your system. The license fee may seem extreme at the time, but comparing that with the cost of employing developers and the time it will take, it is typically reasonable, and worth it.
4. Focus – Leveraging a resourceful third-party API frees up limited development resources and allows startups to focus on other aspects of the business such as the core product and its functionality.
5. Features – When building everything from scratch, it may be difficult to add additional features to your product due to resource or deadline constraints. Third-party APIs give you the ability to add features you may not have been able to. It is also likely that these features will be more efficient since they are developed by someone in that field of expertise.

By integrating a third-party API into your business, you gain from the knowledge of others, save time, money, development resources, and it enables you to add features you may not have been able to. For startups, keep these advantages in mind when considering a third-party solution, and embrace what can be given to you.

For more details about application integration and support services, see our Application Integration page at https://qat.com/application-integration/ .