---
published: true
layout: post
title: Building Outside-In API Product Feedback Loops Through API Consumer Solidarity
tags:
  - Products
  - Consumers
  - Feedback
image: >-
  https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/america-under-socialism-train-hand-car.jpeg
---
A lot of attention gets spent talking about API producers doing “the right thing” when it comes to treating their APIs as products and cultivating feedback loops with their consumers. It is one of the most important ways enterprises can do to align what they produce with what their consumers need. However, all of this work depends on API product managers and their business leadership wanting to do “the right thing”, making a space for consumers to be heard, and honestly evaluating feedback as part of their road maps. In a perfect world this makes a lot of sense, but in a less than perfect world, as API consumers you can also work together to own the product feedback loops requiring that API producers:

- You Must Provide API Documentation
- You Must Provide an OpenAPI
- You Must Provide a Road Map
- You Must Provide a Change Log
- You Must Provide Support Tickets

You do not have to wait for your API producers to do what you need to operate your business. It is increasingly common for API consumers within a specific sector to band together and approach an API producer with demands for more access and balance. If your business depends on an API producer for digital resources and capabilities and there is no plan B for where you can obtain the same digital resources and capabilities, your next step lies in solidarity with your fellow API consumers. Feedback loops between API producers and consumers are essential to striking a healthy balance, and ideally API producers step up and lead the way towards balance, but in the absence of it, you can still make sure your feedback is heard, and API producers deliver what you need to still get business done.