First feature request

For internal APIs, most of the backlog consist of feature request from ongoing initiatives/projects. Therefore, most developers will need to request new features to the internal API and will be dependent on them being delivered before they can achieve their business outcome.

Release plan transparency

API producer DevOps teams need to ensure transparency of your upcoming releases and the planned content. In addition, there should be transparency of all feature requests coming from API consumers.

A developer friendly way of doing this, is to use Github issues and milestones for high level representation.

This allows the developers to see ongoing work and avoid creating duplicate user stories.

Mature API contract together

The API contract for feature requests should be a combined effort between the API producer and the API consumer requesting it. Documentation for the endpoint under maturing should be provided in a branch outside of the main release branch.

Only when the endpoint is in production, is it merged into the main documentation.

Low bar for reaching out

Provide a slack channel for your API, where developers can ask informal questions for example on feature requests. Have the slack channel become the home of a community of API consumers and the API producer DevOps team.