Open APIs create markets, closed ones create competitors

After watching platform ecosystems for over a decade, one pattern emerges consistently: The companies that open their APIs create markets. The ones that don't create competitors.

This week, I kept thinking about all the APIs I've built on top of over the years and the ones I had to work around. Some became breakthroughs. Others made me desperate enough to build alternatives.

The difference always came down to one philosophy.

APIs as ecosystem accelerators

Here's what fifteen years of consuming APIs taught me:

Closed platforms think they're protecting value They limit access, restrict functionality, or charge for basic features. Every interaction feels like a negotiation.

Open platforms create value multipliers They give developers superpowers. Problems get solved in ways the platform never imagined. The ecosystem innovates 10x faster than any internal team could.

I've watched this play out repeatedly:

→ Salesforce opened their API and created a $5 billion ecosystem → Stripe became the default payment processor through developer experience → Twilio turned phone systems from enterprise nightmares into a few lines of code

Each platform that trusted developers multiplied their own success.

A rising tide lifts all boats

When developers can build on your platform:

• They solve problems you haven't even identified
• They reach audiences you couldn't imagine
• They create value that makes everyone more successful

I've been on both sides. I've built on dozens of APIs. I know what it feels like when a platform trusts you with real access. And I know the frustration when they don't.

Building for builders

The best API decisions I've seen share these principles:

Generous rate limits Developers need room to experiment and scale. Artificial scarcity breeds resentment.

Transparent pricing Clear, predictable steps that scale with success. Published tiers that work for startups and enterprises alike. If, in order to get started, I need to "contact sales", I will do my best to work around needing you, rather than with you.

Real functionality The same capabilities the platform uses internally. Full access to create, update, and integrate.

Developer experience first Documentation that actually helps. Error messages that explain solutions. Webhooks that work reliably.

The ecosystem advantage

Companies that embrace open APIs gain something powerful: thousands of minds solving problems in parallel.

No internal team, regardless of size, can match the creativity of a motivated developer ecosystem. Every hackathon, every side project, every integration is free R&D.

The platforms that understand this don't just survive. They become the essential infrastructure in their market.

Buffer's new chapter

We're walking the talk. After years of consuming APIs, we're building one that embodies everything we've learned about developer experience.

Because we believe the best way to grow isn't to protect our platform. It's to open it up and see what amazing things people build.

The philosophical choice

Open APIs are philosophical statements about who you trust and how you grow.

They say: "We believe developers will create more value than they extract."

They say: "We're confident enough in our core product to let others extend it."

They say: "We'd rather be a platform others build on than a product others work around."

The companies that get this right don't just build products. They build movements.

The companies that get it wrong? They create the market opportunity for their own disruption.

Choose wisely.

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