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Zapier engineer publishes free API course online for beginners
If you’ve spent any time on the Internet, there’s a good chance you’ve run across the term “API,” which stands for application programming interface. Simply put, an API is defined as a set of programming instructions and standards that guide access to a Web-based software application or tool, such as telling Facebook to post an…
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Zapier co-founder’s 7 principles for building culture remotely
(Guest post by Wade Foster) I’ve written before about how we manage Zapier as a remote team. But one point that is constantly brought up is how co-located teams have an easier time building culture vs. remote teams. In fact, I’ve even had co-located teams tell me their culture problems were solved by simply buying…
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Why we fly home to mentor at Startup Weekend every year
I’m a big believer that the best place to start your company is your home town. Often times, however, the best place to grow your company is somewhere else. That has been the case for us at Zapier. In October 2011, we debuted at the inaugural Startup Weekend Columbia (Missouri). Eight months later, we earned…
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Join past winners, first-timers for Columbia’s third Startup Weekend
It’s that time of year again, when Columbia’s eager and willing come together for a weekend of unbridled creativity and collaboration channeled to build viable startup ventures. Entering its third year, Startup Weekend Columbia will once again take place at Museao this week. The weekend—using the formula developed by the international Startup Weekend program …
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Zapier raises $1.2 million seed round, hires first employee
As Zapier wrapped up its three-month stint in seed accelerator Y Combinator earlier this year, the founders of the Columbia, Mo.-born startup fielded ample advice on how to handle funding. “We heard, ‘Get fundraising done as fast as possible. Don’t worry about it. You want to finish it, and …
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A (belated) midyear look at the “10 Silicon Prairie startups to watch”
One counts McDonald’s among its account holders, another carries recognition from the SXSW Interactive Awards and another had its product featured on the PBS News Hour. Seven months ago, none of these milestones had been achieved, but we’ve seen quick progress and achievements. In January, I presented a list of 10 Silicon Prairie companies that…
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Columbia, Mo.-born Zapier launches from its new home at Y Combinator
Zapier, the winner of Startup Weekend Columbia in October, launched today, just weeks after moving to Silicon Valley to join Y Combinator, a program and seed fund for startups. “(It’s an) easy way for non-developers to get integrations between all their SaaS applications,” co-founder Wade Foster said on Monday. In other words, Zapier syncs apps,…
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Experimentation is to a startup as a task list is to a job
(This is a guest post by Wade Foster.) Few people come out of the womb, kicking and screaming, born ready to be a startup founder. Most of us take the longer more traditional route. Usually that means 12 years of primary education, 4 years of secondary education, a few more years working at a good…
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Meet the CoMo community. A startup tour of Columbia, Missouri
I love Columbia, Mo. It’s vibrant and artsy. It’s highly educated. It’s full of opportunity and has the No. 4 ranked basketball team in the country (sorry … couldn’t resist). A few months ago, the community inspired me to write an article, “5 Advantages Of Small Town Entrepreneurial Living,” about why I choose to live…
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Ten Silicon Prairie startups to watch in 2012
In 2011, we did our best to keep a close eye on Silicon Prairie startups, covering entrepreneurs who dared to disrupt the established local marketplace, aimed to make the online shopping experience more social and dreamed of virtual town-halls that increased citizen participation. Among the startups we covered, there were a few in each city…