When creating an org structure and Building Teams, it is useful to create an API around a team to reduce the Cognitive Load of both that team and the teams it works with1. A team API includes:
- Code: libraries, clients, UI, endpoints
- Versioning Scheme (e.g. SemVar)
- Wiki/Documentation (how to guides for the team)
- SDLC practices and principles (“how we work”)
- Communication (remote communication tools)
- Work information: what the team is working on now, what’s coming next, priorities
A team’s API should explicitly consider how other teams will use it.
1. Skelton, M., Pais, M. & Malan, R. Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow. (IT Revolution Press, Portland, OR, 2019).