Product Improvement
API Builder
Market Repositioning and Information Architecture Redesign
The software company specialises in data integration and API management tools and possesses over thirty Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications and provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offerings.
One of the products was called API Builder. API Builder was a new release of a previous application called Appcelerator.
Business Problem
API Builder was a new release of a previous application called Appcelerator.
The sales team could not upsell current Appcelerator customers to upgrade to API Builder or cross-sell API Builder to existing customers, let alone acquire new clients.
Sales were not able to sell any API Builder licenses in its three years of existence.
The main difficulty was that consumers perceived API Builder as an API authoring platform similar to SwaggerHub or Postman. The team needed help to articulate the unique value proposition of API Builder to its customers.
Approach
The product manager and I discussed the need for deeper insight into users' experiences when integrating data across internal and external apps to understand the current lack of sales better.
We agreed on an approach to research real-world case studies and conduct a competitive analysis to identify user needs and to apply the design thinking framework.
Adapting to Challenges
Designing the research approach without deep expertise in API management or developer experience pushed me outside my comfort zone.
I created a developer user journey to better illustrate the process.
The company’s limited design expertise added another layer of difficulty, and the technical complexity of API Builder made it even harder to grasp its processes fully.
Rapid Upskilling
Instead of stepping back, I leaned into the challenge—learning fast, asking questions relentlessly, and bridging the gap between technical depth and user-centred research.
I read extensively on “what are APIs”, engaged engineers in continuous questions, and spent hours on YouTube learning the technical details. Even my engineer husband had to endure late-night CLI discussions.
By the end of this self-led deep dive, I was able to design a research strategy further to explore API management and common pain points among developers.
Building Research Foundations
Research Coaching
We decided that user interviews were the next move, with me stepping in to lead by example—showing the product manager how to keep conversations open without nudging the answers.
But before we could even start, I first had to win over the organization to fund the research.
At the same time, I gently helped the product manager realize that his earlier interviews might have missed deeper insights—not because of a lack of effort, but because of how the questions had been framed.
Uncovering the Real Challenge
With no budget for a recruitment platform, we leaned on recruitment staff and personal networks to find five CTOs and a Director of Engineering for interviews.
We assumed technical executives were the key decision-makers for API Builder purchases.
In speaking with five CEOs, we uncovered a major insight: the real struggle wasn't orchestration. This shifted our positioning of API Builder as a critical tool for enabling modernisation.
Winning Buy-In
The VP of Product initially resisted external customer research, forcing us to secure funding from another department.
But after seeing the findings, the VP was pleasantly surprised—and even advocated for the value of customer research to other executives.
Meanwhile, the Product Manager gained a stronger understanding of the customer research process, its impact, and how it differs from routine client check-ins.
Screenshot of the competitive analysis
Uncovering Market Truth
When the product manager identified key competitors, I saw an opportunity to strengthen our strategy.
Competitive Analysis
I built a competitive analysis framework and led our engineers through the technical deep dive—steering the process even though I couldn’t assess the tools firsthand. The insights we uncovered were eye-opening.
For the first time, the API Builder team saw how buyers and users viewed their strengths and weaknesses.
Armed with this new perspective, the product manager and engineering lead reshaped their roadmap, prioritizing features that better matched real-world needs.
Reframing the Experience
Competitive research, backed by Pre-Sales team feedback, confirmed that API Builder had a confusing information architecture (IA) that lacked clarity and ease of use.
Video of the paper prototype the developers created in the workshops.
Ideation Workshop
To address this, I proposed applying the Design Thinking process—ideate, prototype, and test—to brainstorm IA improvements and validate them with the Pre-Sales teams.
We scheduled two concurrent design thinking workshops in Dublin, Ireland and Sofia, Bulgaria, with engineers and product managers from the API Builder team and other teams to provide a different point of view.
Developers as Designers
I led two six-hour workshops with 12 participants, preparing hands-on materials like design element cutouts, construction paper, and markers.
It was my first time running a design workshop exclusively with developers, and while I initially worried about their comfort with sketching, the setup encouraged creativity and active participation.
Unlocking Team Innovation
The developers had fun cutting, glueing, and brainstorming new ideas.
The four groups created six distinct prototypes, which they showed to each other online.
The collaborative approach taught the team that there are multiple solutions to the same problem, resulting in a much more curious team environment.
Testing with Pre-Sales
I arranged a 30-minute User Testing with the EU Presales Team, during which I gathered their feedback on the prototype.
Catalyzing Product Change
After six fast-paced prototype iterations, we landed on an API Builder experience that Pre-Sales teams praised for its usability and its direct fixes to customer pain points heard during demos and trials.
The results didn’t just improve the product—they sparked a major mindset shift. The product manager re-evaluated both the core offering and the marketing strategy, setting a new direction for the team.
Interactive prototype screenshot that was used in the Pre-Sales testing sessions.
Driving Customer-Centric Growth
We successfully shifted product development to a more customer-centric approach, with the API Builder team incorporating client feedback and insights into the design.
Market opportunities and customer needs now shaped the product’s positioning—and the results spoke for themselves: sales grew from zero to seven figures within a year.
“Results spoke for themselves: Sales grew from zero to seven figures within a year.”