[dmor]

APIs do not eliminate biz dev, but they do make it easier and faster to get deals done. I get the impression that the author might not have a firm grasp of what business development people actually do ("they do deals" is not a sufficient explanation).

I know that biz dev people love self-service APIs - and that they're no longer the gatekeepers of API keys, and can instead focus that time on creating unique partnerships and closing more deals.