Dev Interrupted

The Shift to Agent-Driven API Consumption | Speakeasy’s Sagar Batchu

Apr 22, 2025

Sagar Batchu, co-founder and CEO of Speakeasy, delves into the intricate relationship between organizational structure and API design. He emphasizes the importance of treating internal APIs as first-class products and discusses how Conway's Law impacts API success. The conversation shifts to the rise of Agent Experience (AX) in an AI-driven landscape, underlining the need for rigorous standards and documentation. Batchu also introduces the Model Context Protocol (MCP), showcasing how prioritizing developer productivity today can pave the way for future AI advancements.

41:17

Episode guests

Sagar Batchu

AI Summary

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Successful API development hinges on organizational structure and internal governance, emphasizing user experience over mere technical implementation.

The rise of LLMs and agent-driven communication necessitates enhanced API design and documentation practices to improve developer productivity and experience.

Deep dives

The Cost of Politeness in AI Interactions

Using polite language like 'please' and 'thank you' in interactions with AI has unexpected costs, as these phrases require processing by language models, leading to higher electricity usage and environmental implications. Some estimates suggest that being polite could cost platforms millions of dollars, prompting a debate on whether such niceties are necessary when communicating with machines. However, politeness may yield better results by aiding the AI in understanding the significance of user requests. This suggests that while efficiency is crucial, there is still value in maintaining a level of politeness during interactions with AI.

Intro

2min

Advancements in AI Communication

5min

Unlocking Natural Language with MCP Servers

4min

Revolutionizing API Design: The Shift to Organizational Excellence

6min

Navigating API Dynamics

21min

The Evolution of API Development and Agent-Driven Tooling

3min

Think building killer APIs like Stripe or Twilio is purely a technical feat? Think again.

This week, we dive into why crafting successful APIs is fundamentally an organizational challenge, demanding internal excellence long before code is deployed. Sagar Batchu, co-founder and CEO of Speakeasy, joins us to unpack the crucial role of ownership, design principles, and why even internal APIs benefit from treating them like first-class products. Discover how Conway's Law dictates your API's fate and why achieving that coveted developer experience starts with your company's structure.

Getting these foundations right is more critical than ever, as the landscape now faces a dramatic shift with the rise of LLMs and agentic AI. This potentially multiplies API usage and introduces the concept of "Agent Experience" (AX), demanding even greater rigor around clear standards, documentation, and metrics like "Time to First 200." Sagar also explores the emerging Model Context Protocol (MCP) and explains why focusing on developer productivity today prepares you for the AI-driven future of tomorrow.

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