Clients remember everything
Once a field ships, someone builds around it. Once an error shape leaks, someone parses it. The API becomes a contract even if nobody wrote the contract down.
The useful signal is usually already there.
A tiny patch rarely touches only one thing. Push it and watch the review surface appear.
Design the boring cases too
Document pagination, idempotency, errors, retries, nullability, and versioning before the first client ships. Happy paths are the easy part.
Stable error codes are kinder than prose scraping.
Treat compatibility as a feature
Add contract tests for response shapes and error codes. Breaking clients is a production incident even when your server is green.
Flip the switches and watch the story turn into a tiny operating model.
Good APIs reduce future meetings
A clear API lets teams move independently because the boundary says what will stay true.