Speedrun: API Governance Crisis Table
# | Crisis | Description | Conditional Impact (modifies next action) |
1 | CTO Takes an Interest | The new CTO wants to “see the API metrics dashboard by Friday.” | If your next action includes +Clarity: double the Clarity added. Otherwise, add -1 Rep to the action's effects. |
2 | Security Finds a Shadow API | An undocumented endpoint was discovered in prod. Security CC’d leadership. | If your next action includes +Rep: negate all negatives. Otherwise, add -1 Rep to the action's effects. |
3 | PowerPoint Restructuring | Strategy consulting triggers org-wide reshuffle. Your initiative is now “a dotted-line dependency.” | If your current Rep is 4 or greater: no effect. If not, reduce all positive effects of the next action by -1. |
4 | Vendor Pricing Change | Your API gateway vendor reclassifies usage. Budget impact = existential. | If your next action is “Buy a Tool,” cancel its negatives. Otherwise, add-1 Pace to the action's effects. |
5 | Integration Deadline Moves Up | A key partner accelerates go-live by 4 weeks. Surprise! | If the next action has +Pace: double the positive bonus. If not, add -2 pace to the action's effects. |
6 | Evangelist Quits Mid-Keynote | Your rockstar hire burns out and bails publicly. | If the next action has +Rep: reduce the next action’s Rep bonus by 1. Otherwise, add -1 Rep to the action's effects. |
7 | The Portal Is Down | Your new developer portal goes 500 during a stakeholder demo. | If the next action is “Set Up a Portal Landing Page”: cancel all effects. If not, add -1 Clarity and -1 Rep to the action's effects. |
8 | Finance Asks for ROI | You’re slotted for a QBR. Metrics must be defensible. | If the next action is “Publish Success Metrics”: double its Clarity and add +1 to Rep. If not, add -1 to the action's Pace effect. |
9 | Compliance Surprise Review | You must tag every API with data classification by Monday. | If the next action includes + Clarity: double it. Otherwise, add -1 Pace to the action's effects. |
10 | API Forking Frenzy | Two teams built identical APIs. Both shipped. Both say they’re “the real one.” | If the next action is “Launch an API Guild” or “Mandate API Reviews”: negate all penalties. Else, add -1 Clarity to action's effects. |
11 | VP Wants a Platform | A VP reads your internal memo. Now they want “platformization.” | If your next action has both positive Clarity and Rep, add an additional +1 to Rep. Otherwise, add -1 Clarity to the action's effects. |
12 | CEO Quotes You Out of Context | Your internal blog is now being referenced in board slides. | If next the action has -Clarity: double the negative. If not, add +1 Rep to the action's effects. |
13 | Legal Flags a Field Name | They found a restricted term! You must coordinate new naming org-wide. | If the next action is “Hold Listening Tours” or “Host a Brown Bag Series”: negate any negative Pace effects. |
14 | Surprise Branding Overhaul | A rouge designer changes the API initiative's branding. It’s now very purple. | All effects of your next action are reversed. (Yes, even good ones.) |
15 | AI Team Wants API Access to Everything | Generative AI initiative wants structured access to all APIs, stat. | If the next action includes +Clarity: add +1 bonus to all next action effects. If not, add -1 Pace to the action's effects. |
16 | Speaking Opportunity Backfires | You speak at a conference! However, internally, you're now branded as only “the governance guy.” | If the next action is “Do Nothing”: +1 Rep (let the snark blow over). If not, add -1 Rep to the action's effects. |
17 | Architect Demands GraphQL | A senior architect drops this bomb mid-meeting. Now it's a Thing™. | If the next action is “Revise the Maturity Model” or includes +Clarity: take no penalty. Otherwise, add -1 Clarity to the action's effects. |
18 | The Style Guide Gets Hacker News Attention | Someone shares your API style guide externally. The internet... has opinions. | If the next action has +Clarity: double it. If not, halve your current reputation (rounding up) after accounting for the action's effects. |
19 | Reorg Incoming | Everyone suspects something. Chat goes eerily quiet. Everybody is in wait and see mode. | If the next action is “Request a Reorg”: halve its negatives (rounding down). Else, add -2 Pace to the action's effects. |
20 | Legacy System “Champion” Emerges | A senior director from the COBOL era now attends your meetings. Loudly. | If the next action is “Shadow a Delivery Team”: +1 Rep. Otherwise, add -1 Rep and -1 Pace to the action's effects. |