This Week in Startups

Zapier Co-Founder Mike Knoop on category creation, API evolution & AI architecture | E1769

Jun 27, 2023

Mike Knoop, co-founder and president of Zapier, shares insights from the tool's early days aimed at streamlining app interactions. He discusses the transformative impact of APIs on user experience and reveals Zapier’s innovative business model. Knoop dives into the challenges of integrating AI into workflows, highlighting practical applications and potential safety concerns. He also addresses recent API evolution and its implications for startups, emphasizing collaboration and efficiency in a rapidly changing tech landscape.

01:07:59

Creator website

Episode guests

Mike Knoop

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Evolution of Attention and Transformers

01:22

How to Be a Successful Podcast Producer

00:56

Need Engineers for Your Startup? Check Out Lemon.io | TWIST Podcast Transcript

01:52

The Retention Problem With Chat Plugins

01:25

Intro

2min

The API Revolution: Growth and Innovation

13min

Navigating Early-Stage Challenges and API Policy Changes

2min

Navigating API Evolution and Challenges

5min

Integrating Automation and AI in Tech Startups

4min

Automating Workflows with AI

9min

Integrating AI and API Challenges in Workflow Automation

4min

Navigating the Data Scraping and AI Evolution

11min

The Shift from Physical Servers to Cloud Computing and Concerns in AI Research

3min

10.

Navigating AI Architecture and Innovation

13min

11.

Casual Conversations and Startup Collaborations

2min

This Week in Startups is presented by:

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Today’s show:

Zapier’s Mike Knoop joins Jason to discuss the early days of Zapier before breaking down the evolution of app integrations and API usage (1:20). They dive into reducing friction for Zapier users, regulating AI, the limitations of present-day AI architecture, and more (43:06).

Check out Zapier: https://zapier.com/

Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/mikeknoop

Time stamps:

(0:00) Mike Knoop joins Jason

(1:20) Zapier’s origin story

(8:40) Zapier’s key inflection point and its profit-sharing model

(14:05) Zapier’s business model

(15:48) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist

(17:03) The evolution of app integrations and API usage

(23:41) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(25:00) Zapier demo + incorporating AI into your workflow

(36:43) Eight Sleep - Go to https://eightsleep.com/twist to check out the Pod Cover and get $150 off at checkout!