API FIRST STARTUPS : Why the next unicorns will be built on invisible infrastructure

Image Source: Freepik The biggest companies of the next decade will not be brands that you see on billboards . They will not even be brands that you deal with directly every day . They will be API (Application Programming Interface)-first startups - the unseen infrastructure that runs the digital world. From Stripe changing payments , to Twilio changing communications , API-first companies are proving that the biggest unicorns can become the biggest companies not by dazzling end-users, but by giving power to developers . The best part? Once the developer adopted the API and it was integrated, they took on a “background role.” But what is it about API-first startups that uniquely positions them to dominate the future? And more importantly - how do founders today build the next generation of invisible giants ? This article takes a deep dive into that story: the mindset, the playbook, the challenges, and the takeaways. The Rise of the API-First Era APIs are not new technologies. They ...