Book a ConsultationAPI Design & Development
Hire a developer to design and build a production API — structured, versioned, and documented so the teams consuming it can move without asking questions.
Most API problems aren't about the endpoints — they're about decisions that weren't made deliberately: no versioning strategy until a breaking change is live, auth bolted on after the contract is already published, documentation that was accurate at launch and wrong six months later. I treat the contract as the first deliverable, not an afterthought.
This covers greenfield API design from an empty repo, backend-for-frontend layers sitting between a frontend and third-party services, and existing APIs that have grown inconsistent and need a structured audit and refactor.
Who this is for
- Teams building a product that needs a public or internal API designed from the start
- Frontend teams blocked because the backend contract isn't defined or keeps changing
- Products with a working API that's grown inconsistent and needs an audit and refactor
What you get
API contract design
OpenAPI spec written and agreed before implementation starts — the frontend and backend teams have the same document to work from.
Endpoint implementation
REST or GraphQL, structured around how consumers actually use the data, not a generic CRUD scaffold.
Auth and rate-limiting
API keys, OAuth 2.0, or JWT depending on what's appropriate — implemented once, consistently, not per-route.
Versioning strategy
A clear policy for introducing breaking changes without breaking existing consumers.
Documentation
OpenAPI / Swagger docs that stay in sync with the code, not a separate document that drifts.
Integration tests
Tests against the real endpoints so regressions are caught before they reach consumers.
How the engagement runs
- 01
Contract design
Who consumes this API, what they need, and what the shape of the data should be — agreed in writing before any code.
- 02
Implementation
Endpoints built against the spec, with auth and error handling designed in, not patched on.
- 03
Auth and rate-limiting
Security and abuse controls wired in before the API is exposed.
- 04
Docs and tests
OpenAPI documentation generated and integration tests written against the live endpoints.
- 05
Handover or retainer
Clean handover with documentation, or a retainer to keep extending the API as the product grows.
Engagement options
MVP Sprint
Idea to shipped product, fast
4–8 weeks
Founders who need a real, usable v1 in front of users this quarter.
- Scoping workshop and a written technical plan
- Production build — app, API, database, auth, deployment
- CI/CD and a live deployment you own
- Regular demo checkpoints, async updates in between
Monthly Retainer
An embedded senior engineer, minus the hiring cycle
Rolling, one-month minimum
Teams shipping continuously who need senior capacity without a headcount req.
- A fixed block of engineering hours each month
- Feature delivery, code review, and refactors
- Works inside your existing tools — Slack, board, standups
- Cancel or pause with notice
Architecture Audit
An honest read on what's already built
1–2 weeks
Teams inheriting a codebase, pre-fundraise diligence, or diagnosing 'why is this so slow'.
- Codebase, infrastructure, and cost review
- Written findings ranked by risk and effort
- A prioritized remediation plan
- A walkthrough call to go through the findings
Frequently asked questions
REST or GraphQL — which should I use?
REST is simpler to cache, easier to consume without a client library, and the right default for most APIs. GraphQL earns its complexity when consumers have highly varied data needs or you're aggregating many backend sources. I'll give you a direct recommendation based on your actual use case, not a neutral 'it depends.'
Can you take over an API someone else built?
Yes — that usually starts with an audit engagement to map what exists, identify the inconsistencies, and produce a remediation plan before any refactor work starts.
What does documentation delivery look like?
An OpenAPI spec checked into the repo, auto-generated Swagger UI served alongside the API, and a short runbook for adding endpoints consistently. Not a Word document.
Do you handle versioning for existing APIs?
Yes. Introducing versioning into a live API without breaking existing consumers is a specific problem with a specific approach — it's part of the audit and refactor engagement.
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Ready to talk about api design & development?
Book a call or send a message — you'll hear back within a day.