But when it came to APIs, it was almost always a hit or miss.

What does it mean when you, as a startup, offer APIs as a product?

What are APIs, even?

As our CEO defined it, APIs are the brain of your software.

So… does that mean APIs can think?

Remember how a SaaS typically has a backend and frontend?

• The frontend is what you see.

• The backend powers the frontend.

In some apps, the backend and frontend are just one app.

I must be losing you at this point.

But nowadays, they’re often separated for many reasons — scalability (or the ability to scale) being one of the main ones.

Having a public API — public literally meaning open to all — means that anyone can potentially build their own frontend/UI and simply use your software’s backend. They’re able to do this by having their frontend interact with your public API. This can save a ton of development time, especially if your service is already stable.

There are a lot of popular APIs nowadays, including:

• Stripe

• Weather APIs (because would you really build your own weather-monitoring infrastructure?)

In our case, it was a QR code generator API. With all its intricacies, it was essentially plug-and-play: you could build a feature requiring QR code generation in days, instead of the typical 2–6 months of development. Most public APIs also come with excellent documentation, which makes adoption faster.

So how would you, as a marketer, market this product?

Some sample slogans I’m thinking:

• Looking to save time developing X?

• Create your own X.

This time, the messaging is tailored more toward technical stakeholders like CTOs or lead engineers — because these are the lives you’re making easier.

That’s just an overview.

I’ll dive into a more in-depth understanding of APIs in a separate post.

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Subscribe so that when that post comes out, you’ll be notified. Maybe by then you’ll have better ideas for copy to help drive more signups. Or, if you’re ever tasked with writing public documentation or crafting a LinkedIn blast, it might help. And if you’re in customer support — here’s to understanding your tickets better.

I’ve had a lot of mentors. But I can’t choose just one who brought the most impact to my life.

One particular mentor, however, taught me marketing in the shortest time possible — as well as basic life skills, like picking a great piece of furniture.

In this article, I want to share three pieces (out of dozens) of advice I’m most grateful to have received from him.

1. He Taught Me How to Sell a Pen

Turns out, everything you need to learn about marketing can be found in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street.

There’s this scene where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character teaches his colleagues how to sell a pen — all in the context of conning men into buying cheap penny stocks with HUGE upside potential in the middle of Silicon Valley.

Working with my mentor for the past eight months had a profound effect on me.

If I had risked all my savings and started a business a year ago, I would have failed.

I would’ve wasted all my time on the wrong things, gotten zero sleep — and still ended up with zero customers — because I didn’t know that selling requires three things:

• A need

• A benefit

• Urgency

You can’t sell anything without all three.

Even with something as simple as a pen, you need to establish that the person needs a pen. Then you point out the benefit that satisfies that need. Finally, you have to find someone who needs it right now.

If they don’t need it now, they won’t buy it — even if your pen works in outer space.

2. He Taught Me That God Is in the Details

In just eight months, I’ve heard this phrase a hundred times: God is in the details.

Take social media, for example. Our staff would design a great photo — but maybe the text is slightly off, the colors feel off-brand, or the content just isn’t timely.

Turns out, the little things do matter. There are details that can make a script, article, or design perform significantly better.

Learning to spot those details — and act on them — is what brings in more customers.

3. He Showed Me How to Actually Work on the Weekends

As a full-time developer, I used to work non-stop — including weekends.

Any tourist could’ve explored more of Cebu in three days than I did in three years of living there.

Out of all the beaches, I’d only been to Moalboal. I never saw the beautiful northern side of Cebu.

Compare that to the two weeks my mentor spent in Dipolog:

• He dined in every bar and restaurant.

• He met more locals than we did in a year.

• He went to remote beaches and even went snorkeling.

All that — with just a rented semi-automatic scooter.

Sometimes, the best mentors are the ones who get on your nerves. Like your parents.

I didn’t realize how much my mentor had influenced me until I found myself admiring elegant wooden furniture — and realized that love came from him.

He gave me more than marketing lessons. He taught me:

• That selling well matters — and selling like Leonardo does work.

• That details matter — because God is in the details.

• That weekends are for living — not just working.

Tonight, I realize why so many people say their greatest mentors are their parents.

It’s because we don’t often think of them as mentors — until we grow up. Until we recognize their influence. Until, in my case, we realize we’ve adopted their quirks… like their love for furniture.

Tonight, I’m grateful for all the mentors who’ve come into my life.

I wouldn’t be who I am today without the influences you’ve had on me.

I can’t think of a better way to end this than with a big, resounding — thank you.

The successful individual is the one who does what the average person will not do.

What do I mean by this?

Sometimes, the only thing that hinders us from achieving success is ourselves. We sabotage our own potential when we think wrong, believe wrong, or speak wrong. These are habits that lead to an unhappy, mediocre, and unprofitable life.

Today, I won’t be talking about credentials or high achievements — instead, I’ll be talking about attitude.

How Is Attitude Related to Success?

A person with a winning attitude accounts for 80% of the results.

Having a below-average attitude limits your growth potential, return on investment, rewards, and personal independence.

That’s why I’ve always advocated for thinking positively — for looking at the bright side. Your future is only limited by your vision and desire.

But don’t worry — we’re all endowed with unique talents and abilities. We just need to develop them and use them to serve others.

Let’s conquer mediocrity with these four tips:

1. Take the Offensive

What does being on offense mean in basketball? It means grabbing the ball and working with your team to shoot it into the basket.

In life, taking the offensive means taking initiative.

Never start your day in neutral. Every morning, take control of your time and your life. Visualize what you want to accomplish by the time your day ends.

People who live defensively never conquer mediocrity. Take unique, radical, and courageous moves — especially if you don’t like how your life feels right now.

Taking the offensive isn’t just about action — it’s about a decision made within.

2. Start Where You Are

A lot of people wait for the perfect opportunity.

Don’t be that person.

Opportunity is always where you are — not where you were, and not where you wish you could be.

The key is to start with what you have, not with what you don’t.

Remember the couple who started their ice cream business with just ₱20? It was featured on television. That’s a perfect example of starting where you are.

You don’t need to quit your job to achieve success. Start right where you are.

Ask yourself:

• Do I hate my job? Why?

• If I do, what can I do to make my life better?

• Should I ask for that promotion?

• How can I add more value to my team or organization?

Remember, you used to wish for what you have now — a job, a partner, a chance. What are you doing with it?

3. Keep on Growing

Once you’ve started, look within.

What are your gifts? What are you naturally good at?

• Managing people?

• Speaking?

• Writing?

• Selling?

These gifts will never be taken from you. But the more you use them, the more interest they’ll bear. Use them — and grow.

• Write that book.

• Join a Toastmasters club.

• Start selling.

Don’t quit — unless everything clearly tells you it’s time.

Life is full of distractions. It’s easy to lose hours watching movies or K-dramas — when those same hours could be used to study, create, or build your dreams.

Take the driver’s seat. Get a hold of your life.

Opportunities are everywhere — waiting for you to use your God-given gifts.

4. Indecision Is Deadly

Decide what’s important to you today — or someone else will.

Being decisive means having laser focus. When you know where you’re going, you won’t be easily swayed by distractions or discouragement.

If you know you're meant to teach or create, then you won’t jump at every shiny opportunity or let one bad day make you give up.

Being decisive means you don’t change direction at every crossroad. You stay the course.

Conclusion

Attitude and habits may only take up 20% of your time — but they account for 80% of your results.

Wherever you are right now, take the offensive, start where you are, keep growing, and stay focused.

All of these nuggets of wisdom were inspired by the book An Enemy Called Average by John Mason. Read it when you can — and conquer the number one enemy of your success.