SDK

Also called Software Development Kit

A software development kit: a bundle of tools, libraries, and documentation that makes it easier for developers to build on or integrate with your product or platform.

Why it matters

A good SDK lowers the effort for others to adopt your technology, which can drive integrations and lock-in. If developers are your users, the quality of your SDK is a large part of your product.

For example

A maps company ships an SDK so any app can drop in navigation without building it, making adoption a few hours of work rather than months.

Go deeper

What is an API? A Beginner's Guide Postman · guide Postman's beginner guide is the clearest plain-language explanation of SDK and why it matters to founders. Open postman.com →

Related terms

Also in Starting Up

See how founders actually handle this on Building the product, part of the Starting Up hub.

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