12 Things Every API Product Needs to Be Agent-Ready

Hosted by Emmanuel Paraskakis

In this video

00:02:07 Introduction: 12 Things Every API Needs to Be Agent Ready
00:04:23 Speaker's Background and Experience
00:05:27 The Coming Wave of AI Agents
00:07:20 #1 & #2: Make Your API Discoverable and Fully Functional
00:10:41 #3: Use Modern and Familiar API Protocols
00:12:48 #4: Implement a Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server
00:16:16 Understanding A2A, MCP, and UTCP Protocols
00:18:02 #5: Provide Well-Documented, Machine-Readable API Descriptions
00:20:51 #6: Follow Conventions and Standards, Especially for Errors
00:25:11 #7: Simplify API Design with Use-Case Specific APIs
00:33:30 #8: Test with Agent-Specific Scenarios and Tools
00:35:11 #9: Use Clear Naming, Descriptions, and Enumerations
00:37:10 #10: Create a Frictionless, Programmatic Onboarding Process
00:38:36 #11: Implement Standards-Based Authorization and Address Security
00:42:32 #12: Adopt Usage-Based Billing and Prepare for Spiky Traffic
00:47:01 Recap and Audience Poll
00:48:36 Key Takeaways and Course Promotion
00:51:37 Q&A and Closing Remarks

What you'll learn

Define Your 2026 API Roadmap: 80% of your API Product Roadmap should be getting ready for AI/Agents. Learn the 12 essentials you need to cover.
Understand How To Get Started with MCP: Model Context Protocol lets Agents and LLMs "see" your APIs. Find out why you need to get started today.
Prioritize Design Changes to Your API Product: MCP lets Agents "see" your APIs. We'll explore what you need to do to optimize them so that they are actually usable.
Prepare Your Infrastructure for AI Agents: You'll determine the improvements you need to make to embrace the incoming agent wave and embrace new opportunities.

Why this topic matters

Agents aren’t coming—they’re already here, transforming how APIs are consumed and integrated. Your next API consumers aren’t just developers but AI-driven agents demanding clarity and simplicity. Are your APIs agent-ready?
This Lightning Lesson introduces 12 actionable approaches to help API PMs, Engineers, and Architects lead in agent-driven ecosystems.

You'll learn from

Emmanuel Paraskakis
API PM Executive | 15+ Years, VP-Level Experience
I’m Emmanuel, an entrepreneur, product management executive, and consultant at Level 250 with over 15 years of experience shaping API products.

Previously at

Join me to gain practical insights, avoid common pitfalls, and learn how to deliver API Products that enable great user experiences—without repeating the mistakes I’ve already made along the way.