June 2012 Summaries

I've been setting up meetings and sending meeting invites, but it was a tedious process involving multiple emails and calendar events. However, I discovered a handy scripting solution using Zapier that allows me to create calendar invites directly from sent emails, streamlining the process and saving time. The secret sauce is a Gmail Google Calendar Zap setup where I can select the calendar to send invites from, set a custom event description, and enable a filter to trigger the zap upon sending an email with a specific hashtag. With this solution, I can now invite users, build product, exercise, or schedule meetings with just a few clicks in my inbox.

Finding early customers as a startup can be challenging, but it's essential to identify a need and find influential individuals who would pay for your product or service. One approach is to troll online forums and SaaS service communities to understand what problems people are facing and which integrations they're looking for. This was the strategy used by Zapier co-founder Wade Foster when he reached out to Andrew Warner, a prominent figure in the startup world, with a solution to his problem of syncing PayPal data into Highrise. After exchanging emails, Foster offered Warner a $100 beta deal, which led to the first paying customer and subsequent traction for the company. The key takeaway is that early sales may not be repeatable, but it's crucial to do everything possible to get users to like your product and pay for it when you're just starting out.

Zapier is publicly launching after nine months of hard work and feedback from users, with big thanks to Y Combinator and partners Paul Graham for their support. Zapier allows users to automate repetitive tasks in seconds, with thousands of integration combinations available to boost productivity. The company plans to continue adding new apps and improving existing ones, and is open to user suggestions on how to make the platform more efficient.

This is the single most common phrase I say to developers looking to make the switch from 9 to 5 to building their own products for profit. It usually follows the question "Why in the world would anyone pay for that?" And of course the good news is that you are the exception to the rule. You see most people aren't hackers. Most people can't build a todo app. Most people can't use an API. Heck most programmers can't spin up a solution to Fizz Buzz. You are the exception to the rule. This is good news. You have a skill that is highly valuable and can create immense value for you and for others. So back to the original question: "Why in the world would anyone pay for that?" It should be no surprise that the answer is that you are the exception for the rule. When many developers are making the switch from 9-5 to building for-pay products they reflect on the products they typically pay for and usually there are very few and they conclude that no one pays for products. But if you search around the internet you'll find dozens of products that aren't complicated, but make stacks of Benjamin Franklins for the developers of those products. Of note are products like BufferApp: Joel, the Buffer founder, talking about making money on Buffer. BidSketch: Ruben, the Bidsketch founder, talking about making money on BidSketch. Freckle: Amy, the Freckle founder, talking about why you should charge more.. If you were to reduce Zapier to its very core it's essential a bunch of little scripts tying together two applications. Inevitably when we tell developers Zapier does things like send GitHub commits and issue alerts to HipChat automatically the response is usually - "I would never pay for that! I could build that in less than an hour." But when we look at our stats GitHub to HipChat is one of the most popular integrations we have. You see, you are the exception to the rule. Becoming a Believer Coming to the realization that people do pay for products is hard. But once you realize it the feeling is liberating. I became a believer after hanging around other developers and business owners who would drop $50s, $100s, and $1000s of dollars per month faster than a hunger-starved cheetah chasing a gazelle on simple products when they knew it would save them time and make them money. Building a Steely Resolve Once you decide to charge for a product you are going to get detractors. Often times these are other developers who you might respect. Resist the urge to follow their advice. Maintain a steely resolve. Ruthlessly test whether the market will pay for your product. Get the product in front of your core audience. Surprise yourself. After all, you and your developer friends are the exception to the rule.

This post originally appeared on Silicon Praire News for their Founder Friday edition` Most people don't start out as entrepreneurs, taking a traditional route that involves 12 years of education and work experience before making the leap into entrepreneurship. To succeed, they need to change their thinking and be willing to get out of their comfort zone. As an entrepreneur, one must learn to experiment with different ideas and approaches, rather than relying on planning and analysis alone. This can involve trying new channels, features, or even hiring interns to test hypotheses. By embracing experimentation and being willing to try things, even if they don't work out, entrepreneurs can quickly learn what works and move forward.