# Managing vs running

Foundation apps involve two different API surfaces, and mixing them up causes a lot of confusion. Keep
them separate.

## The management surface — how you configure the app

This is how *you* (or your agent) set the app up: the dashboard, the MCP management tools, and a REST
management API. Same configuration underneath, three ways in. "Enable billing," "add an entity,"
"deploy" — all happen here.

## The runtime surface — what your app exposes

This is what your *finished app* offers to *its own* users and their agents: the REST endpoints and
MCP server for your entities, actions, and integrations. "List the books," "create an order," "charge
this customer" — your app's runtime API, used by the app you built and anyone you grant access.

## Why it matters

| | Management surface | Runtime surface |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | You / your building agent | Your app + its users & their agents |
| What it does | Configures the app | Runs the app's features |
| Examples | "Enable billing," "add an entity" | "List books," "create an order" |

So "configure via REST" (you setting up the app) is a completely different thing from "your app has a
REST API" (what you expose to your users). When a doc says *API*, check which one it means — these docs
always make it clear.

That's the whole mental model. From here, pick a capability in [Configure](/platform/apps), or jump to
the [Quickstart](/guide/quickstart).