Creating a Compelling Developer Story for Your Cloud-Based API

Mike BorozdinDocuSign, Inc. – the Cloud Based eSignature Company

DocuSign’s Dev Community Results• Processes about 70% of all the cloud-based eSignature traffic• 50% is through API = our API processes more transaction than

the rest of the market combined• Developer community of 5033 developers as of 05/03/2011

with about 100+ new development sandboxes requested every month

Creating a Story1. Start with a compelling product2. Your first API customers3. Iterating4. Tools and documentation5. Personnel6. Join communities7. Create your own community8. Tailor to three different developer groups9. Bring the community together

Start with a Compelling ProductDocuSign Story Industry Precedent

Step 1: Create a compelling product _______

If you don’t build a great product – you will have a tough time with the rest of the steps. In fact, some of them might be detrimental.

Recent History: the iPhone and the iPhone SDK• June 29th, 2007 – the phone is released• March 6th, 2008 – after the product has

proven to be a success, Steve Jobs has released the SDK

“We wanted to make it as painless as possible. This is where we felt DocuSign was best for the person doing the signing. The best part is documents could be signed in literally minutes versus months.”

Mike MachadoCRM Manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio

“Using DocuSign has saved Dow AgroSciences considerable administrative time, energy and resources. Our seed retailers no longer have to wait on a cumbersome paper process to obtain a license number for their growers and invoice the seed and traits. And, our growers can execute their agreements quickly and securely.”

Doug HobertyOneSource Manager, Dow AgroSciences

Your First API CustomersWho:• Close partners• Big corporate IT

What:• Solve complete problems with your API

Examples:• I want to send you a set of documents

for signature, in return I need to get an ID which I can use to track whether or not an “Envelope” of documents has been signed

DocuSign Started in 2003 • End user interface• Business cases

First API Customers were in 2006• It was not open• DocuSign created a Professional

Services department to help people with the API

• Complete business problems were solved and tremendous efficiencies over manual processes were proven

Iterating• Your partners and customers are going to imagine things that

you never thought of• Do not have API that doesn’t support versioning like:• http://yourapp.com/api/api.asmx

• Version 1.0 of your API is going to get old…. Quickly.• You will always have to support multiple versions, just get ready

for it from the beginning

Tools and DocumentationTools• Code Samples in C#, Java, PHP,

Ruby, Python• Code snippets for copy

and paste• Diagnostic tools or guidelines

(web service tracing, log4j instructions, ruby request/response dump)

Documentation• Both PDF and Online• Searchable• Need to be up to date• Bad documentation turns

people off and you won’t be able to complete step #7

Tools and Documentation

www.DocuSign.com/DevCenter

Personnel• 1 part – software engineer• 1 part – customer service rep• 1 part – marketing manager

Look for:• Social engineers• Ex-consultants

Not so good results with:• People who never had hands-on code experience• Anti-social people

Join CommunitiesGeneral Rules• Go where your developers are• Understand different culture• .NET communities vs. Python

communities• Give to the community before you

ask for anything

DocuSign Example Salesforce Cookbook

Create Your Own Community• Create a forum• Recognize top posters• Resolve un-answered

questions• Encourage people that e-mail

you to use the forum and share knowledge

community.docusign.com

Create Your Own Community• Create a MarketPlace or an App Gallery• Help your developers• Help your customers• Help your sales people

www.DocuSign.com/MarketPlace

Three Different Types of Developers• IT Developer – they are your direct customer• System Integrator – they sell expertise and labor• ISV – they have a piece of software that they want to connect

to your API

Different goalsDifferent appetite for paying for servicesDifferent methods of getting ROI

Bring the Community Together

Questions?

@mikebz @docusignAPI