Building an API business

To create the Startup, run create startups with the template:

$ npm create startups ratebook.dev -- --template autonomous-data-api$ cd ratebook

Created Ratebook in testStartup      startup_1Template     Autonomous data APIDataset      dataset_1Claim token  ct_9Lp3wQ

To define what the Dataset holds, create a Noun:

$ npx startup-builder do Noun.create --json '{"name": "Rate","properties": [{ "name": "country", "type": "string", "required": true },{ "name": "standard", "type": "number", "required": true },{ "name": "reduced", "type": "number" },{ "name": "validFrom", "type": "date", "required": true }]}'

In the test environment the definition applies at once: https://api.sb/ratebook.dev/rates now serves Rate.

To pass the launch check on data rights, record the Source of the data:

$ npx startup-builder do Source.create --json '{"acquired": "owned","terms": "Compiled from rates each tax authority publishes for reuse."}'

Every Source states how it was acquired. A Dataset sells only data it has the right to sell.

To load the data, create the first records:

$ npx startup-builder do Rate.create --json '{"country":"DE","standard":19,"reduced":7,"validFrom":"2007-01-01"}'$ npx startup-builder do Rate.create --json '{"country":"FR","standard":20,"reduced":5.5,"validFrom":"2014-01-01"}'

To find the Meter that counts lookups, list the Meters:

$ npx startup-builder show /meters

{ "meters": [{ "$id": "https://api.sb/ratebook.dev/meters/meter_1", "unit": "calls" }] }

To price the API, create the two Offers. The Meter counts the lookups each one bills:

FREE=$(npx startup-builder do Offer.create --json '{
  "price": { "amount": 0, "currency": "USD" },
  "interval": "month",
  "atBound": "upgrade",
  "terms": "1,000 lookups a month, free."
}' | jq -r '.offer["$id"] | split("/") | last')
PAID=$(npx startup-builder do Offer.create --json '{
  "price": { "amount": 0.002, "currency": "USD" },
  "interval": "month",
  "terms": "$2 per 1,000 lookups, billed monthly in arrears."
}' | jq -r '.offer["$id"] | split("/") | last')

Zero is a Price, so the free Offer is sold like any other. Each Customer's free lookups count first.

Publish both Offers:

$ npx startup-builder do Offer.publish --json '{"offer":"'"$FREE"'"}'$ npx startup-builder do Offer.publish --json '{"offer":"'"$PAID"'"}'

To provision the routes, keys, and Site, build the Startup:

$ npx startup-builder do Startup.build --json '{"startup":"startup_1"}'

To test as a developer, subscribe a sample Customer to the paid Offer:

$ npx startup-builder do Offer.subscribe --json '{"offer":"'"$PAID"'"}'

The Subscription grants an Entitlement to read Rate, and the response holds the Customer's own sk_test_ key.

To make a lookup as that Customer, call the API with the Customer's key:

$ curl https://api.sb/ratebook.dev/rates/DE \-H "Authorization: Bearer $CUSTOMER_KEY"

{ "rate": { "$id": "https://api.sb/ratebook.dev/rates/DE", "country": "DE", "standard": 19, "reduced": 7 } }

The Meter now reads one call for that Customer. The same lookup works through the SDK, the CLI, and MCP, and each one counts.

To connect payouts, claim the Startup, then finish payouts onboarding at the link it prints:

$ npx startup-builder do Startup.claim --json '{"startup":"startup_1","claimToken":"ct_9Lp3wQ"}'

Launch:

$ npx startup-builder do Startup.launch --json '{"startup":"startup_1"}'