Sector data exchange dies in ambiguous spreadsheets. The durable pattern is: semantic model → versioned schemas → OpenAPI/GraphQL → conformance examples.
Code lists should be language-independent. Identifier formats should be validated, not hoped for.
Documentation must regenerate
If humans edit docs separately from schemas, drift wins.
Pack common types once — address, geo, contacts — and reuse.
Integrators need fixtures
Conformance examples turn standards into onboarding.
Takeaways
- Standards are products with versions.
- Schemas beat prose for exchange.
- Ship conformance assets with the API.