This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Robert Wilde
Today I completed an API endpoint that a colleague needed to integrate with their system. Rather than simply sending over the endpoint URL and waiting for the inevitable questions, I took a different approach.
I prepared a comprehensive package that included a POSTMAN collection with pre-configured diagnostics, a fully populated example request with actual data including signature and delivery images, and a sample of the generated PDF output.
The entire process took me perhaps ten additional minutes.
My colleague’s response was telling: “Thanks! Can you embed a soundtrack and make the pdf 3D 
just kidding. Looks nice. Will run few tests in the morning.”
The time I invested was minimal because I had just built the feature and had all the context fresh in my mind. However, the time saved for my colleague could be hours of trial and error, debugging, and back-and-forth communication.
When we thoughtfully reduce friction at the right points, we enable our teams to focus on innovation rather than interpretation.
This small example reflects a larger principle: the most impactful contributions often come not from what we build, but from how we enable others to build upon our work.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Robert Wilde