Episode 542: Brendan Callum on Contract-Driven APIs

Measuring Success

Measuring the success of APIs involves a comprehensive approach using various metrics and KPIs. Brendan Callum explains that these metrics are divided into categories like performance, stability, and business impact. For example, the API for conversions at Pinterest helps advertisers securely send conversion data, and its success is measured by its ROI and adoption rate.

When teams come to us to want to build in the API, we ask them, what does success look like for you with launching this API?

--- Brendan Callum

This collaborative approach ensures that the right metrics are in place to measure the API's impact effectively 1.

   

Testing & Responsibilities

Testing and quality assurance are crucial responsibilities shared among engineers at Pinterest. Brendan Callum emphasizes that engineers are expected to own the spec, business logic, and update unit and integration tests as changes occur. This responsibility ensures that APIs are robust and secure, with additional support from QA teams experienced in testing edge cases.

We set the expectation upfront that you own the spec, you own the business logic, and you're also going to update unit tests and integration tests with changes that you're making.

--- Brendan Callum

This approach fosters a culture of accountability and thorough testing across the development process 2.