The Untapped Potential of the API Economy: How Unicorns are Built and Why 90% of APIs Miss Out

Hey Product Hunt fam! 🚀 As we celebrate the launch of Tiny API, let's take a moment to talk about something that's been on my mind—the API economy. The Rise of API Unicorns 🦄 Companies like Stripe, Twilio, and Plaid have become unicorns largely because of their API-first approach. Stripe, for instance, was valued at $95 billion in 2021. These companies have shown us the immense value that can be unlocked through APIs. The 90% Dilemma 🤔 Did you know that more than 90% of APIs don't generate revenue? They often end up as open-source projects on GitHub, lacking the financial backing to scale or even sustain. The Developer's Quandary 🛠️ There are over 25 million developers worldwide. A staggering 88% of them code outside of work, and more than a third are trying to earn an income from it. Yet, the options are limited—freelancing, consulting, hackathons, or the occasional 'Buy Me a Coffee'. The Revenue Gap 💰 APIs are projected to become a $30 billion market by 2024. But who's really benefiting? Large corporations have the resources to monetise their APIs, but what about individual developers or small teams? Tiny API: The Substack for Developers 💌 That's where Tiny API comes in. We're aiming to democratise this space, much like Substack did for writers. Write an API the world needs, and collect revenue. Simple as that. What are your thoughts on the current state of the API economy? Are you a developer trying to monetise your code? What challenges are you facing? If you want to check out what we are building see today's launch - https://www.producthunt.com/posts/tiny-api