Learn APIs in an hour [a hands-on guide]
Mastering APIs could be your career game-changer.
Give me one hour, and I'll show you how to get hands-on with APIs.
🌐 LinkedIn’s algorithm. Stripe's payment system. Spotify's song suggestions. What do they all have in common?
They run on APIs—the secret sauce that makes the modern digital world spin.
If you’re looking to build smarter products, understanding APIs is non-negotiable.
And in this week’s edition, you’ll not only grasp the fundamentals of APIs, but you’ll also get hands-on with real API calls using Postman.
So grab your coffee ☕ and buckle up—we’re about to crack the API code!
👋🏼 Hi, it's Raj. Welcome to Product Playbooks. Every week, I dive into reader questions about the challenges of working in product teams.
Send me your questions, and I'll provide no-fluff advice in an actionable "1 hour playbook" format. Let's jump into this week's play...
Q: What’s an API, and why should I care?
Ah, the classic API question. It’s one of those terms you’ve probably heard thrown around by developers or read in a product brief, but maybe you didn’t feel the need to dig deeper.
Here’s why it matters: APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) let different software systems talk to each other. Want your app to communicate with Slack, Stripe, or Google Maps? APIs are your middleman.
If you're a PM, understanding APIs helps you communicate more effectively with engineers and opens doors for product integrations.
Let’s Get Started!
⏰ Run time: 1 hour
🧑💻 People: Just you and your laptop 💻
🔨 Tools: Postman (a tool to test APIs), Chrome Developer Tools, and this guide
🔁 Repeat: Anytime you need to deal with APIs
Step 1: API Fundamentals (2 min) 🔍
Before jumping in, let’s cover the basics:
- API = A way for two applications to talk to each other.
- Endpoints: Think of these as the doors 🚪 to the API that you can knock on to get information (or send information).
- Requests: You ask the API for something (e.g., data), usually in one of these forms:
- GET: Grab some data 📝
- POST: Send data to create something new ✉️
- PUT: Update existing data 🔄
- DELETE: Remove data 🗑️
- Responses: The API’s reply to your request, usually in the form of data in JSON format (don’t worry, you’ll see this in action later).
- Status Codes: APIs let you know if things went well (200 OK ✅) or terribly wrong (404 Not Found ❌).
Playbook Tip:
Think of APIs like a waiter 🍽️ in a restaurant. You (the client) ask for something off the menu (via the API), and the waiter delivers it from the kitchen (the server).
Ok, enough theory. Lets get practical and explore an API in real-time.
