Who should I follow to learn about API Design?

If you want to get **really good at API design**, I’d follow a small group rather than trying to consume everything. 1. **Arnaud Lauret (API Handyman)** - **my #1 recommendation.** He focuses specifically on API design, with a strong consumer-first approach: usability, HTTP, REST, OpenAPI, versioning, security, and API evolution. His *The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition* was published in 2025. [The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition - Arnaud Lauret](https://www.manning.com/books/the-design-of-web-apis-second-edition?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [API Stylebook](https://apistylebook.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 2. **Martin Fowler** - Follow him for the **software architecture and design principles surrounding APIs**: coupling, evolutionary architecture, integration patterns, and system design. His site remains one of the best sources for long-form software-design thinking. [About Martin Fowler](https://www.martinfowler.com/aboutMe.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Martin Fowler's site](https://martinfowler.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 3. **James Higginbotham** - Particularly useful once you're moving from "how do I make an endpoint?" to **how do I design an API that delivers business value and remains maintainable?** His *Principles of Web API Design* is a good complement to Lauret's work. [Praise for Principles of Web API Design](https://poornaprajnalibrary.com/admin/uploads/stbooks/Principles%20of%20Web%20API%20Design%20-Delivering%20Value%20with%20APIs%20and%20Microservices%20by%20James%20Higginbotham.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 4. **Kin Lane (The API Evangelist)** - Good for the **API product/developer-experience side** of API design: treating an API as a product rather than merely a technical interface. 5. **Darrel Miller** - Worth following for pragmatic thinking around **HTTP, REST, APIs, and the Microsoft/.NET ecosystem**, especially if that's your stack. ### If I were learning today I'd do this: **Arnaud Lauret → Martin Fowler → James Higginbotham → real-world API specs** And I'd spend most of the hands-on time reviewing existing APIs. For example, take an API you use regularly and ask: - Are the resources modeled well? - Are URLs and HTTP methods intuitive? - Are errors consistent? - Is pagination predictable? - Can the API evolve without breaking clients? - Is the API understandable without talking to its authors? - Does the OpenAPI specification accurately describe the actual behavior? The key mindset shift is that **API design isn't primarily about designing endpoints; it's about designing a durable interface for someone else to use.** That's exactly the perspective Lauret emphasizes. [The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition - Arnaud Lauret](https://www.manning.com/books/the-design-of-web-apis-second-edition?utm_source=chatgpt.com) If you tell me whether you're **beginner / intermediate / senior** and whether you're designing **REST, GraphQL, gRPC, or internal microservice APIs**, I can give you a much more targeted list of 5–10 people/resources to follow.

**If you want to learn API design, follow practitioners who combine hands-on engineering with clear teaching. Some of the most influential voices include Kelsey Hightower, Phil Sturgeon, Fran Mendez, and Milan Jovanović. They consistently share practical insights on REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and real-world API architecture.** ## 🌟 Key Experts to Follow Expert| Focus Area| Why Follow Them ---|---|--- **Kelsey Hightower**| Kubernetes, cloud-native APIs| Known for making complex cloud APIs accessible; his talks and demos are gold for understanding distributed systems.[16 Famous API Experts & Developers (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/api/) **Phil Sturgeon**| REST API design, standards| Advocate for sustainable API practices and author of guides on REST best practices.[16 Famous API Experts & Developers (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/api/) **Fran Mendez**| AsyncAPI, messaging APIs| Creator of AsyncAPI, shaping how event-driven APIs are documented and designed.[16 Famous API Experts & Developers (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/api/) **Jon Skeet**| .NET, C#, API libraries| Highest-reputation Stack Overflow contributor; his work on Noda Time shows deep API design thinking.[16 Famous API Experts & Developers (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/api/) **Milan Jovanović**| .NET architecture, REST APIs| Microsoft MVP who shares clean-architecture patterns and weekly API design tips in his newsletter.[Top 10 Tech Leaders to Follow in 2025](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-10-tech-leaders-follow-2025-digitalapi-pczec) **Nikki Siapno**| Engineering leadership, REST principles| Breaks down API gateways and RESTful design into practical, digestible lessons.[Top 10 Tech Leaders to Follow in 2025](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-10-tech-leaders-follow-2025-digitalapi-pczec) **Kin Lane**| API advocacy| Long-time API evangelist, focusing on accessibility, standards, and developer experience.[16 Famous API Experts & Developers (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/api/) ## 📌 How to Engage With Them * **Twitter/X & LinkedIn**: Most of these experts share short, actionable insights and debates on API practices. * **Newsletters & Blogs**: Milan Jovanović’s _The.NET Weekly_ and Gergely Orosz’s _Pragmatic Engineer_ (though broader than APIs) are excellent for deeper dives.[16 Developer Influencers and Experts to Follow in 2025](https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/web-development/developer-influencers/) * **Open Source Projects**: Explore AsyncAPI (Fran Mendez), Fastify (Matteo Collina), and OpenAPI Generator (Wing Yew Poon) to learn by reading real-world code.[16 Famous API Experts & Developers (2026)](https://echoglobal.tech/technologies/api/) ## ⚠️ Risks & Considerations * **Beware of hype**: Some API trends (like over-engineering microservices) can be misleading. Following voices like David Heinemeier Hansson helps balance simplicity vs. complexity.[Top 10 Tech & Product voices you should follow in 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-10-tech-product-voices-you-should-follow-2026-digitalapi-7rebe) * **Check credibility**: Not all influencers are equally rigorous. Stick to those with proven track records in open source, standards bodies, or major engineering teams.[16 Developer Influencers and Experts to Follow in 2025](https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/web-development/developer-influencers/) * **Avoid outdated practices**: API design evolves quickly. Prioritize experts who actively contribute to current standards (AsyncAPI, OpenAPI, GraphQL). 👉 To tailor this list: Do you want **practical coding guidance** (hands-on API design patterns), or more **strategic/architectural insights** (how APIs fit into system design)? That will help me recommend the most relevant voices for your learning journey.

**Arnaud Lauret** Known as the "API Handyman" and author of _The Design of Web APIs_. He focuses heavily on API-first philosophy, API quality, and making APIs that developers actually enjoy using. Follow him on LinkedIn and X/Twitter for practical insights on API governance and design quality. **Phil Sturgeon** Co-founder of _APIs You Won't Hate_ and a major advocate for the "Design-First" workflow using OpenAPI and AsyncAPI. His articles and community resources are essential for learning modern HTTP API standards, error handling, and automation. [A Developer's Guide to API Design-First](https://apisyouwonthate.com/blog/a-developers-guide-to-api-design-first/#:~:text=It%20then%20describes%20the%20responses%20a%20client,going%20through%20every%20part%20of%20the%20functionality.) **Kin Lane** Widely known as the **API Evangelist** , Kin has spent over a decade mapping the entire API economy. Following his work provides a macro-view of API governance, lifecycle management, security trends, and industry evolution. **James Higginbotham** Author of _Principles of Web API Design_ and an independent API consultant. He specializes in enterprise API strategy, design patterns, and helping teams transition from ad-hoc coding to consistent, well-mapped domain models. **Mike Amundsen** An internationally recognized authority on web architecture, microservices, and REST APIs. He has co-authored several books on web APIs and offers deep theoretical and architectural grounding on how systems communicate. **Key Engineering Blogs & Guidelines to Follow** * **Stripe Engineering Blog:** Universally recognized as the gold standard for public API design, consistency, and developer experience. * **Microsoft REST API Guidelines:** An extensive, open-source rulebook for designing robust and predictable RESTful services. [How do you learn proper API design standards when building your](https://www.reddit.com/r/learnpython/comments/1pduny7/how_do_you_learn_proper_api_design_standards_when/#:~:text=%E2%80%A2%209mo%20ago.%20honestly%20just%20read%20the,%E2%80%9Cit%20works%E2%80%9D%20and%20skip%20the%20design%20side.) * **Google API Design Guide:** Google’s internal standards for designing scalable, gRPC- and REST-based cloud APIs. [How do you learn proper API design standards when building your](https://www.reddit.com/r/learnpython/comments/1pduny7/how_do_you_learn_proper_api_design_standards_when/#:~:text=Read%20best%20practices%2C%20but%20not%20from%20one,knowing%20about%20possibilities%20is%20always%20good\)%20https%3A%2F%2Flearn.openapis.org%2Fbest%2Dpractices.html.) What specific style of API are you focusing on building (e.g., REST, GraphQL, gRPC)?

To truly master API design, the best approach is to follow the industry thought leaders, architects, and authors who shape how the world builds and consumes interfaces - ranging from REST and GraphQL to event-driven AsyncAPI standards. The top experts, practitioners, and foundational resources to follow include: * * * ** _Kin Lane (The API Evangelist)_** : Known widely as the API Evangelist, Kin has been tracking the politics, business, technology, and governance of APIs for over a decade. Following his insights on platforms like Kin Lane on LinkedIn provides a macro-level view of where the API economy and standardization are heading. * * * **_Mike Amundsen_** : A world-renowned speaker, author, and consultant specializing in microservices and distributed object architectures. He is a co-author of _Designing Web APIs_ and frequently presents advanced patterns on service evolution and contract design (such as his talks available via GOTO Conferences). Follow his work for deep architectural theory. * * * **_James Higginbotham_** : Author of _Mastering API Architecture_ , James specializes in practical, lifecycle-driven API design. He excels at breaking down how to pick the right style (REST, gRPC, GraphQL, or AsyncAPI) and aligning non-technical business stakeholders with engineering requirements. * * * **_JJ Geewax_** : A software engineer at Google who wrote _API Design Patterns_ (published by Manning). His material is exceptional for learning concrete, nuts-and-bolts naming conventions, resource structuring, error-handling payloads, and backward compatibility. * * * **_Mehdi Medjaoui_** : Founder of the **APIdays** conference series, Mehdi is a key figure in the global API community. Following the APIdays Website or his professional feeds will keep you plugged into enterprise API strategy, governance, and banking/open-API movements. * * * **_Phil Sturgeon_** : Author of _Build APIs You Won't Hate_ and an active advocate for API-first development, HTTP standards, and OpenAPI specifications. His community perspective cuts through overly academic fluff to focus on what makes a developer experience actually enjoyable. [Books for API design : r/ExperiencedDevs](https://www.reddit.com/r/ExperiencedDevs/comments/18edmef/books_for_api_design/)[Agents Don't Magically Understand Your API | Kin Lane](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kinlane_agents-dont-magically-understand-your-api-activity-7490566292110934016-gmdz)[Top API Books recommended by experts - MentorCruise](https://mentorcruise.com/books/api/)[14 best books on API design to read in 2024 - Tyk.io](https://tyk.io/blog/best-api-design-books-to-read/) Essential Institutional Repositories to Watch * **zalando/restful-api-guidelines** : Widely considered the gold standard open-source enterprise style guide for RESTful API design. Reading through their public guidelines on GitHub will teach you more about real-world consistency than most textbooks. * **OpenAPI Initiative (OAI)** : Following the OpenAPI Specification on GitHub helps you stay fluent in the foundational contract language used to describe modern APIs. If you're looking to dive in, let me know: * Are you focusing on **REST** , **GraphQL** , or **event-driven (AsyncAPI/gRPC)** architectures? * Do you prefer learning through **books** , **hands-on style guides** , or **video conference talks**? I can tailor a reading or resource list to match your exact project needs!