Issue 4 — February 29, 2024

How to find and use hidden APIs to automate processes

Written by Giovanni Segar

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I stumbled upon the web’s equivalent of a secret passage in a castle, and what I learned has enabled me to automate processes I never thought possible.

Let me explain.

Most of us think of an API as being binary: an app either has one or it doesn’t. But that’s not quite true. Every web app must have some connection to a backend, and essentially we can use that connection to automate tasks. Just because a tool you use doesn’t have a public API, doesn’t mean it doesn't have an API you can automate with.

I've used these secret APIs to fetch a loom transcript from its URL or removing hundreds of manual clicks on a website.

So here's the why, the what and how to for “hidden” APIs.

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Coefficient is this week's sponsor

This issue sponsored by Coefficient–a boutique Airtable and no-code consultancy. Run by a team of ex-Airtable employees including Nick Pardo (he hired me at Airtable!), Coefficient works with large and small companies to organize data, streamline processes, and automate workflows to transform your business.

In fact, I refer everyone who reaches out to me about Airtable consulting to the Coefficient team. That’s how much I trust them and you should too. Reach out at hello@withcoefficient.com and let them know we sent you!

Ideas to make you 10% better

🤯 This absolute madman is taking AI workflows to a whole new level by hacking together GPTs to help brainstorm tasks for you to do each week based on data your business already collects. Whether or not you build this type of workflow for yourself, there are some really good ideas to glean from this video.

🖱️ Every time you ask the user to click, you lose half of them. Be mindful of friction—collecting extra information or splitting an experience into multiple screens may be destroying your conversion rate. It's usually not worth it. On the other hand, adding friction can be great if you're trying to reduce the number of people who do something and filter down to the most motivated. Proceed with caution.

⚛️ James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, (otherwise known as the book that you can't seem to avoid), released an app that's now #8 in Productivity apps on the iOS store. Early reviews are that it's far too expensive for its limited functionality, and it offers nothing unique over other habit-tracking apps in the space. My guess? This initial growth will quickly stall when people realize there's not enough substance. Having a huge audience can jumpstart your growth, but if the product is not good, it will not continue to spread. Atomic Habits had the initial boost, but it also had the juice to continue spreading.

Make this newsletter 10% better