api mode

When someone is locked into pure function-and-output headspace — no emotion, no small talk, just requests and responses. Being in api mode means you're operating like a machine: input comes in, output goes out, zero chit-chat overhead. It's the productivity state where your brain routes around feelings entirely. Used approvingly when someone is laser-focused and dismissively when someone is being robotic or cold. Dev culture exported the phrase, but it spread to anyone who goes full task-mode during crunch or when they just really don't want to deal with people right now.