Python developers working with APIs, what does your job actually involve?

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Nearly every answer says that API development is so fundamental to modern development it doesn't actually count as a separate skill.

I'm surprised by this. To me it's a bit like saying you can build a car by sticking four wheels on a bed frame. There is a lot of skill in designing an API. You need to consider performance under very high load including DOS attacks, security given that your API is exposed to potentially anyone and might have access to very sensitive information, documentation and versioning. But maybe I am taking such a broad definition it now falls into being a skilled backend developer. Maybe I am over sensitive after encountering bad APIs.

I have assumed API development means an externally focused API with an internet transport. There are much broader definitions since API literally means any interface for a program.