The author, a developer, explores the challenges of handling API data in component-driven applications, particularly when dealing with multiple calls to fetch data from APIs like Contentful. They discuss various approaches, including abstracting API calls into models or utilities, using state management libraries like Redux or Vuex, and implementing the "render props" pattern. The author finds that the "render props" pattern provides a clean way to handle API calls in React and Preact applications, allowing them to define the visual presentation while hiding the complexity of the API call. They also discuss how this pattern can be adapted for use with Vue.js, leveraging scoped slots to pass data into the component's content. The author concludes that this approach makes it easy to fetch data in simple apps following a component mindset, but recognizes the need for proper abstractions when dealing with significant complexity.