How to Actually Sell Your API Migration to the Business

July 30, 2025

Remember That API Migration Example? Let’s Actually Sell It

In my last post, I talked about how engineers say, “We finished the API migration,” but execs often hear, “Another expensive tech project with unclear value.” Honestly, API migrations highlight this communication gap perfectly. So let’s close it.

Your team wants to move away from that ancient REST API to something more modern. You know it’s critical—the current system feels like it’s held together with duct tape and prayers. But when you say, “We need to modernize our APIs,” in that meeting, you’re basically asking for money without showing a clear return.

Here’s how to reframe the conversation so you get budget approval.

Stop Saying “API Migration” — Say This Instead

Don’t say: “We need to migrate our legacy REST endpoints to GraphQL”
Say: “We can reduce mobile app crashes by 60% and cut server costs by $18K per month”

Don’t say: “Our authentication layer needs OAuth 2.0 implementation”
Say: “We’re one data breach away from losing customer trust—and facing up to $2M in GDPR fines”

Don’t say: “The current API has scalability bottlenecks”
Say: “When we hit 5,000 concurrent users next quarter, our system will buckle—costing us about $200K in lost sales during peak hours”

See the difference? Same technical work, but now you’re speaking their language: revenue, costs, and risk.

What That “Boring” Tech Work Actually Delivers

Here’s how to translate technical improvements into business wins:

Fixing Performance Issues

You know those N+1 queries and chatty APIs that slow down your mobile app? Here’s why it matters:

• Customer retention: Even a 100ms delay can drop conversions by 7%. Improving response times from 800ms to 230ms directly impacts revenue.
• Support costs: Fewer timeouts and errors lead to 30–40% fewer support tickets.
• Competitive edge: A snappier app keeps users from jumping ship to slower competitors.

I’ve seen SaaS companies go from losing customers due to “slow software” to getting praised for a “lightning-fast interface”—all thanks to optimized APIs.

Modernizing Security

Moving from API keys to OAuth 2.0 and scoped permissions isn’t just good hygiene—it’s risk management.

• Prevent breaches: Modern auth protocols stop credential stuffing attacks that cost millions on average.
• Simplify compliance: Granular permissions and audit trails ease GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 audits, saving time and money.
• Build trust: Enterprise partners expect up-to-date security. Better auth unlocks bigger deals.

Building for Scale

That “invisible” infrastructure work? It’s your growth insurance.

• Handle traffic spikes: Remember when a startup got featured on TechCrunch and their site went down for six hours? Proper rate limiting and circuit breakers avoid that.
• Save costs: Efficient APIs let you support 3x more users on the same infrastructure. One client saved $23K/month in AWS after moving to GraphQL.
• Speed up integrations: Well-documented APIs cut integration timelines from six months to three weeks, accelerating business deals.

A Real-World Translation

Here’s how I helped one team reframe their pitch:

Original pitch: “We need to migrate our monolithic REST API to microservices with GraphQL federation and caching.”

Business translation:

• “Current system costs $31K/month in excess server fees and causes 23% of mobile users to abandon transactions.”
• “Project will reduce infrastructure spend by $23K/month in six months.”
• “Mobile app abandonment will drop by 58%, potentially adding $180K quarterly revenue.”
• “Partner integrations will speed up from 4 months to 3 weeks, accelerating ecosystem growth.”
• “Foundation built to handle 10x user growth without proportional cost increases.”

Result: Full budget approved and executive buy-in secured.

Same work, totally different conversation.

The Framework I Use

When talking to engineers, I recommend this approach:

1. Start with the business pain—what’s broken that affects customers or revenue?
2. Quantify the cost in dollars or lost opportunities.
3. Link tech improvements to measurable business benefits.
4. Show when results will materialize.
5. Compare to the cost of doing nothing.

For example:

• Technical debt → Slower feature delivery and higher dev costs
• Performance issues → Customer churn and support load
• Security gaps → Risk of breaches and fines
• Scaling limits → Lost revenue during traffic spikes

Stop Being the “Department of No”

Look, I get it. You’re trying to prevent outages, fix legacy messes, and build for the future. But if you talk only about “technical work,” you sound like the “department of no,” always asking for time and budget without showing value.

Position yourself as the team protecting revenue, cutting costs, and enabling growth. Because that’s exactly what you do.

Next time you need budget for infrastructure or API work, lead with business impact. Show what happens if you don’t act—and what becomes possible if you do.

That’s how you get funded for strategic business enablement—not just maintenance.

This is exactly what we help engineering teams do at Stack to Stake—translate complex tech work into clear business impact executives understand and approve. If you struggle to get buy-in for infrastructure projects, let’s talk.