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a
Start Strong, Finish Strong, Launch Strong
“Finish strong” is a common phrase and something that people try to use to encourage us. People often say that most of the effort of any startup goes into finishing ...
Better Web Designs To Increase Donations
The Carsonified blog has a great post that details the process they took when asking for a donations. The end result is not only pretty form, it makes an direct and positive imp...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
Feel Like a Fraud? You’re Not Alone!
Jason Cohen posted an article about his battle with feeling like a fraud. Jason has a product that allows software developers to perform code reviews of one another’s work...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
addr
Driving API Team Collaboration with Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to improve API team collaboration
From ADDR Design to Development with Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to accelerate the API development process
Accelerating API Design with ADDR and Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to accelerate the API design process
amazon
FREE: Cloud Computing Basics
Wondering what all of the hype is around cloud computing? Cloud computing has been a popular topic lately, including the discussion of various cloud computing solutions such as ...
FREE: Cloud Computing Basics
Wondering what all of the hype is around cloud computing? Cloud computing has been a popular topic lately, including the discussion of various cloud computing solutions such as ...
Cloud Storage Used For Backup More Than General Purpose Storage
A new survey by Forrester says that just 3% of companies use cloud storage. Here are the stats from the more than 1,200 IT decision makers interviewed: 43% said they’re not inte...
api
Creating an Effective API Program
It can be challenging to establish a healthy API program within your organization. But what happens when your teams start to produce a large number of APIs and microservices? Th...
What Skills Do Your APIs Offer?
Much has been written about API design techniques – from choosing the right HTTP verb to guidance on response code usage and hypermedia dos and don’ts. We get caught...
What Skills Do Your APIs Offer?
Much has been written about API design techniques – from choosing the right HTTP verb to guidance on response code usage and hypermedia dos and don’ts. We get caught...
Slack, Chatbots, and Voice: At the Intersection of Humans and APIs
Over the last year, we have seen growth in messaging platforms for business. These platforms have changed the way we communicate within and across teams. But why have these plat...
Avoiding Monolithic Regret: Moving to Microservices
The last year has seen a considerable spike in the number of articles and discussions around microservices. Many think that a microservice-based architecture is the right answer...
Resolving the Frontend/Backend API Design Conflict
As part of my API design consulting engagements, I’m often called in to resolve the conflict between the API design that the frontend developers would prefer to have and t...
Resolving the Frontend/Backend API Design Conflict
As part of my API design consulting engagements, I’m often called in to resolve the conflict between the API design that the frontend developers would prefer to have and t...
Lessons From Training 1400+ People in Web API Design
For the last 2 years, Keith Casey and I have been conducted API training workshops with over 1400 participants across nearly a dozen roles. While we are still available for trai...
Lessons From Training 1400+ People in Web API Design
For the last 2 years, Keith Casey and I have been conducted API training workshops with over 1400 participants across nearly a dozen roles. While we are still available for trai...
Lessons From Training 1400+ People in Web API Design
For the last 2 years, Keith Casey and I have been conducted API training workshops with over 1400 participants across nearly a dozen roles. While we are still available for trai...
Building Your API Documentation Strategy For SUCCESS
So far, we have put together a foundation for our API documentation: 1. We must first move beyond API reference documentation and look for other ways to communicate the value an...
Building Your API Documentation Strategy For SUCCESS
So far, we have put together a foundation for our API documentation: 1. We must first move beyond API reference documentation and look for other ways to communicate the value an...
10 Questions Your API Documentation Must Answer
Effective communication is the most important factor for API success. APIs do not have a user interface, so your documentation is the primary communication method for developers...
10 Questions Your API Documentation Must Answer
Effective communication is the most important factor for API success. APIs do not have a user interface, so your documentation is the primary communication method for developers...
10 Questions Your API Documentation Must Answer
Effective communication is the most important factor for API success. APIs do not have a user interface, so your documentation is the primary communication method for developers...
10 Questions Your API Documentation Must Answer
Effective communication is the most important factor for API success. APIs do not have a user interface, so your documentation is the primary communication method for developers...
Improving Your API Conversations with Hypermedia, ETags, and Real-Time APIs
There is considerable source material on great API design. We can read discussions on how to use HTTP properly, from selecting the proper HTTP verb to which response code(s) are...
Improving Your API Conversations with Hypermedia, ETags, and Real-Time APIs
There is considerable source material on great API design. We can read discussions on how to use HTTP properly, from selecting the proper HTTP verb to which response code(s) are...
Improving Your API Conversations with Hypermedia, ETags, and Real-Time APIs
There is considerable source material on great API design. We can read discussions on how to use HTTP properly, from selecting the proper HTTP verb to which response code(s) are...
Moving Beyond API Reference Documentation
“Great API documentation is essential” many people exclaim. So, you fire up your favorite API definition editor and start writing docs. You learn what YAML is and ho...
Moving Beyond API Reference Documentation
“Great API documentation is essential” many people exclaim. So, you fire up your favorite API definition editor and start writing docs. You learn what YAML is and ho...
Moving Beyond API Reference Documentation
“Great API documentation is essential” many people exclaim. So, you fire up your favorite API definition editor and start writing docs. You learn what YAML is and ho...
How To Successfully Deploy Your Web or Mobile API to Heroku
I have deployed a wide variety of APIs, from internal to APIs for public or partner consumption. Many of them have been deployed to Heroku. There are a variety of advantages, in...
How To Successfully Deploy Your Web or Mobile API to Heroku
I have deployed a wide variety of APIs, from internal to APIs for public or partner consumption. Many of them have been deployed to Heroku. There are a variety of advantages, in...
How to Build a Great API Marketing Plan
I was recently approached by an API vendor at an API conference. While the encounter wasn’t horrific, I did find a few things related to their API marketing and sales proc...
How to Build a Great API Marketing Plan
I was recently approached by an API vendor at an API conference. While the encounter wasn’t horrific, I did find a few things related to their API marketing and sales proc...
How to Build a Great API Marketing Plan
I was recently approached by an API vendor at an API conference. While the encounter wasn’t horrific, I did find a few things related to their API marketing and sales proc...
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
The Accidental API
How your web or mobile API might be putting your business at risk Do you have a web or mobile API? You might, whether you realize it or not. Web APIs are often used to connect a...
The Accidental API
How your web or mobile API might be putting your business at risk Do you have a web or mobile API? You might, whether you realize it or not. Web APIs are often used to connect a...
The Accidental API
How your web or mobile API might be putting your business at risk Do you have a web or mobile API? You might, whether you realize it or not. Web APIs are often used to connect a...
The Accidental API
How your web or mobile API might be putting your business at risk Do you have a web or mobile API? You might, whether you realize it or not. Web APIs are often used to connect a...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
Recommendations For Mobile API Design
Building a high performance, reliable mobile backend is just as essential to the user experience as the design of the application itself. While building a full mobile backend st...
api-c4e
5 Ways Your API C4E Can Engage and Enable Teams
Explore ways your API C4E can support delivery teams
Selecting an API Governance Model
How to select an effective governance model for your API program
Scaling Your API Program with Federated API Coaching
Leverage an API coaching program to scale your API program
api-coach
5 Ways Your API C4E Can Engage and Enable Teams
Explore ways your API C4E can support delivery teams
Selecting an API Governance Model
How to select an effective governance model for your API program
Scaling Your API Program with Federated API Coaching
Leverage an API coaching program to scale your API program
Introducing the ADDR API First Design Process
Improve efficiency and reduce cost using ADDR. a scalable API first design process
api-design
Driving API Team Collaboration with Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to improve API team collaboration
From ADDR Design to Development with Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to accelerate the API development process
Accelerating API Design with ADDR and Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to accelerate the API design process
Integrating API Generation Software into the API Delivery Lifecycle: A Strategic Approach
API generation software is rethinking how you design APIs
Unlocking Opportunities with API Generation Software
API generation software presents new opportunities for enterprises
Accelerating Digital Transformation with API Generation Software
Reduce the time it takes to design your API
Introducing the ADDR API First Design Process
Improve efficiency and reduce cost using ADDR. a scalable API first design process
api-development
Driving API Team Collaboration with Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to improve API team collaboration
From ADDR Design to Development with Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to accelerate the API development process
Accelerating API Design with ADDR and Blackbird
Using Ambassador's Blackbird to accelerate the API design process
api-generation
Integrating API Generation Software into the API Delivery Lifecycle: A Strategic Approach
API generation software is rethinking how you design APIs
Unlocking Opportunities with API Generation Software
API generation software presents new opportunities for enterprises
Accelerating Digital Transformation with API Generation Software
Reduce the time it takes to design your API
api-governance
Lessons After a Decade of API Strategy
After a decade of helping companies build an API platform, here is what I learned.
The Importance of API Governance
API governance is the backbone of a successful API platform. By enforcing clear standards, leveraging automation, and aligning with enterprise-wide policies, governance ensures ...
A Look at API Program and Governance Trends for 2024
A look at the API program challenges and opportunities in 2024
api-platform
api-program
A Look at API Program and Governance Trends for 2024
A look at the API program challenges and opportunities in 2024
Integrating API Generation Software into the API Delivery Lifecycle: A Strategic Approach
API generation software is rethinking how you design APIs
Unlocking Opportunities with API Generation Software
API generation software presents new opportunities for enterprises
Accelerating Digital Transformation with API Generation Software
Reduce the time it takes to design your API
5 Ways Your API C4E Can Engage and Enable Teams
Explore ways your API C4E can support delivery teams
Selecting an API Governance Model
How to select an effective governance model for your API program
Scaling Your API Program with Federated API Coaching
Leverage an API coaching program to scale your API program
api-strategy
The Pillars of an API Platform
API pillars serve as the guiding principles that define the foundation and direction of an API platform.
Shifting to an API Platform Mindset
Successful API platforms start with business architecture.
Lessons After a Decade of API Strategy
After a decade of helping companies build an API platform, here is what I learned.
The Importance of API Governance
API governance is the backbone of a successful API platform. By enforcing clear standards, leveraging automation, and aligning with enterprise-wide policies, governance ensures ...
A Look at API Program and Governance Trends for 2024
A look at the API program challenges and opportunities in 2024
apis
Improving Your API Conversations with Hypermedia, ETags, and Real-Time APIs
There is considerable source material on great API design. We can read discussions on how to use HTTP properly, from selecting the proper HTTP verb to which response code(s) are...
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
APIs
Lessons From Training 1400+ People in Web API Design
For the last 2 years, Keith Casey and I have been conducted API training workshops with over 1400 participants across nearly a dozen roles. While we are still available for trai...
Building Your API Documentation Strategy For SUCCESS
So far, we have put together a foundation for our API documentation: 1. We must first move beyond API reference documentation and look for other ways to communicate the value an...
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
app
FREE: Cloud Computing Basics
Wondering what all of the hype is around cloud computing? Cloud computing has been a popular topic lately, including the discussion of various cloud computing solutions such as ...
How to Deepen Your Network and Grow Your Startup
Chris Brogan has a great list of tips for expanding your business network over the coming year. In fact, many of his ideas are about what not to do, such as stop networking at c...
application
5 Common Mistakes When Automating Application Deployment
I have been automating the deployment of applications to physical and cloud-based servers for many years. Here are five mistakes that I commonly find when helping teams with the...
AWS CloudFormation and What It Means for Startups
A few days ago, Amazon Web Services (AWS) released their latest offering, CloudFormation. CloudFormation allows for the templating of your application topology, from the number ...
apps
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
When To Go With a Mobile First Strategy
The mobile first strategy has been an emerging topic for the last several years. But is mobile first really the best strategy for your next product? Let’s examine the thre...
architecture
Slack, Chatbots, and Voice: At the Intersection of Humans and APIs
Over the last year, we have seen growth in messaging platforms for business. These platforms have changed the way we communicate within and across teams. But why have these plat...
Avoiding Monolithic Regret: Moving to Microservices
The last year has seen a considerable spike in the number of articles and discussions around microservices. Many think that a microservice-based architecture is the right answer...
Improving Your API Conversations with Hypermedia, ETags, and Real-Time APIs
There is considerable source material on great API design. We can read discussions on how to use HTTP properly, from selecting the proper HTTP verb to which response code(s) are...
Why I Selected JRuby For My Ruby Project
For those working on the Ruby platform, this is an interesting time. We have Ruby 1.9 YARV, Rubinius, and JRuby as the most popular Ruby Virtual Machines available right now. Ea...
AWS
5 Things To Do Before the Next AWS Outage
I am a firm believer in cloud computing. In fact, I’m focusing my business on the fact that cloud will be a standard part of software and IT architecture in the coming yea...
AWS CloudFormation and What It Means for Startups
A few days ago, Amazon Web Services (AWS) released their latest offering, CloudFormation. CloudFormation allows for the templating of your application topology, from the number ...
bootstrapping
Startup Advice from Brett Hurt, Austin Ventures Partner and BazaarVoice Founder
Brett Hurt has been blogging for some time now. At a recent appearance at the Austin Regulars meetup, Brett answered questions from several audience members. Throughout the conv...
Inspirational Roundup
Everyone hits a difficult point in their startup. It may be that you are trying to bootstrap your idea in your spare time. Or perhaps you are battling a difficult issue and need...
Markup Factory Interview
Nathan at Godbit has an interview with Markup Factory, a hosted CMS, which supports valid user generated HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Markup Factory offers a rich feature set incl...
Bootstrap Whenever You Can
Many startups immediately focus on obtaining large-scale investors. The focus is so intense, that many make the investors more important than the customers. Not only does this l...
Turning Your (Part Time) Idea Into Reality
Thomas at The Messy Notebook posted an article on building something real in your spare time. This is a great list for those trying to launch any kind of idea, either full-time ...
building
How to Request Help For Your Startup
As a startup, you need all the help you can get. But requesting the right help can be the biggest challenge. You may not know the right person to ask, or how to ask. Here are a ...
Developer’s Guide to Building a High Performance Desktop Machine
Laptops can be useful for day-to-day development, but a more powerful machine is required when it comes to working with Very Large Databases (VLDBs) and Big Data. Having some ba...
business
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
How to Deepen Your Network and Grow Your Startup
Chris Brogan has a great list of tips for expanding your business network over the coming year. In fact, many of his ideas are about what not to do, such as stop networking at c...
How to Deepen Your Network and Grow Your Startup
Chris Brogan has a great list of tips for expanding your business network over the coming year. In fact, many of his ideas are about what not to do, such as stop networking at c...
Grow Big, Stay Small
I have worked with quite a few startups, each of varying sizes. The thing that I’ve noticed consistently with each startup: they moved and adapted to change faster when th...
Feel Like a Fraud? You’re Not Alone!
Jason Cohen posted an article about his battle with feeling like a fraud. Jason has a product that allows software developers to perform code reviews of one another’s work...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
Twitter Can Launch Ideas Faster
Twitter has been in the media recently. Not just the expected online and print sources, but often in local news segments. Local news anchors now use Twitter to talk about...
capital
Startup Advice from Brett Hurt, Austin Ventures Partner and BazaarVoice Founder
Brett Hurt has been blogging for some time now. At a recent appearance at the Austin Regulars meetup, Brett answered questions from several audience members. Throughout the conv...
Technical Co-Founder Need Not Apply
Will Miceli recently posted an article, titled Technical Co-Founders Are Overrated, that outlines his journey from idea to finding a partner: I was working on my first entrepren...
Bootstrap Whenever You Can
Many startups immediately focus on obtaining large-scale investors. The focus is so intense, that many make the investors more important than the customers. Not only does this l...
chatbots
What Skills Do Your APIs Offer?
Much has been written about API design techniques – from choosing the right HTTP verb to guidance on response code usage and hypermedia dos and don’ts. We get caught...
Slack, Chatbots, and Voice: At the Intersection of Humans and APIs
Over the last year, we have seen growth in messaging platforms for business. These platforms have changed the way we communicate within and across teams. But why have these plat...
cloud
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
5 Common Mistakes When Automating Application Deployment
I have been automating the deployment of applications to physical and cloud-based servers for many years. Here are five mistakes that I commonly find when helping teams with the...
5 Things To Do Before the Next AWS Outage
I am a firm believer in cloud computing. In fact, I’m focusing my business on the fact that cloud will be a standard part of software and IT architecture in the coming yea...
5 Things To Do Before the Next AWS Outage
I am a firm believer in cloud computing. In fact, I’m focusing my business on the fact that cloud will be a standard part of software and IT architecture in the coming yea...
AWS CloudFormation and What It Means for Startups
A few days ago, Amazon Web Services (AWS) released their latest offering, CloudFormation. CloudFormation allows for the templating of your application topology, from the number ...
AWS CloudFormation and What It Means for Startups
A few days ago, Amazon Web Services (AWS) released their latest offering, CloudFormation. CloudFormation allows for the templating of your application topology, from the number ...
FREE Cloud Computing For Startups eBook
We have released a new eBook through our sister website, LaunchAny.com, called Cloud Computing For Startups. The eBook is FREE and offers a simple and concise introduction to cl...
FREE: Cloud Computing Basics
Wondering what all of the hype is around cloud computing? Cloud computing has been a popular topic lately, including the discussion of various cloud computing solutions such as ...
Cloud Storage Used For Backup More Than General Purpose Storage
A new survey by Forrester says that just 3% of companies use cloud storage. Here are the stats from the more than 1,200 IT decision makers interviewed: 43% said they’re not inte...
Cloud Storage Used For Backup More Than General Purpose Storage
A new survey by Forrester says that just 3% of companies use cloud storage. Here are the stats from the more than 1,200 IT decision makers interviewed: 43% said they’re not inte...
Cloud Storage Used For Backup More Than General Purpose Storage
A new survey by Forrester says that just 3% of companies use cloud storage. Here are the stats from the more than 1,200 IT decision makers interviewed: 43% said they’re not inte...
Slicehost Releases Running Slice Cloning and Increases Bandwidth
I’ve been using Slicehost for 2 years now, and as an anniversary present they have released 2 new features: Slice cloning from running slices – You can now create a ...
communication
What Skills Do Your APIs Offer?
Much has been written about API design techniques – from choosing the right HTTP verb to guidance on response code usage and hypermedia dos and don’ts. We get caught...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
competition
Competition Always Exists – Why You?
Maybe you heard it from someone you know. Maybe you have thought it yourself. “My idea is so new and different. There is no competition at all for it!” It isn’...
Making Your Startup Stand Out In a Sea of Competition
My company, Blue Jazz Consulting, recently launched a new startup called aLawPractice.com. The goal is to reduce the headaches of managing an legal practice while making it simp...
computing
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
5 Things To Do Before the Next AWS Outage
I am a firm believer in cloud computing. In fact, I’m focusing my business on the fact that cloud will be a standard part of software and IT architecture in the coming yea...
AWS CloudFormation and What It Means for Startups
A few days ago, Amazon Web Services (AWS) released their latest offering, CloudFormation. CloudFormation allows for the templating of your application topology, from the number ...
FREE Cloud Computing For Startups eBook
We have released a new eBook through our sister website, LaunchAny.com, called Cloud Computing For Startups. The eBook is FREE and offers a simple and concise introduction to cl...
FREE: Cloud Computing Basics
Wondering what all of the hype is around cloud computing? Cloud computing has been a popular topic lately, including the discussion of various cloud computing solutions such as ...
Cloud Storage Used For Backup More Than General Purpose Storage
A new survey by Forrester says that just 3% of companies use cloud storage. Here are the stats from the more than 1,200 IT decision makers interviewed: 43% said they’re not inte...
Cloud Storage Used For Backup More Than General Purpose Storage
A new survey by Forrester says that just 3% of companies use cloud storage. Here are the stats from the more than 1,200 IT decision makers interviewed: 43% said they’re not inte...
Scalable Background Job Processing With Ruby on Rails and Skynet
On a recent project, I needed to be able to run a large number of background jobs. Each job would likely last between 30 seconds and 5 minutes, depending on the amount of work i...
Slicehost Releases Running Slice Cloning and Increases Bandwidth
I’ve been using Slicehost for 2 years now, and as an anniversary present they have released 2 new features: Slice cloning from running slices – You can now create a ...
consultants
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
You Get What You Give
When it comes to launching your idea, many business owners have to seek out assistance. Whether it is assistance with software development, marketing, or accounting, you will ev...
data
Guidelines for Modeling and Optimizing NoSQL Databases
eBay Architect Jay Patel recently posted an article about data modeling using the Cassandra data store. In his article, he breaks down how they modeled their data using Cassandr...
Why I Selected JRuby For My Ruby Project
For those working on the Ruby platform, this is an interesting time. We have Ruby 1.9 YARV, Rubinius, and JRuby as the most popular Ruby Virtual Machines available right now. Ea...
database
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
death
Dealing With The Valley of Death: Love Your Idea First
In a recent discussion with a friend and fellow entrepreneur, we discussed how startup founders need persistence. Persistence is usually the trait most associated with successfu...
How To Increase Your Idea’s Chance of Success
Jason Cohen has a great interview with Bob Walsh about his products that help startups increase their chances of success. I particularly like the first question in the interview...
deployment
How To Successfully Deploy Your Web or Mobile API to Heroku
I have deployed a wide variety of APIs, from internal to APIs for public or partner consumption. Many of them have been deployed to Heroku. There are a variety of advantages, in...
5 Common Mistakes When Automating Application Deployment
I have been automating the deployment of applications to physical and cloud-based servers for many years. Here are five mistakes that I commonly find when helping teams with the...
AWS CloudFormation and What It Means for Startups
A few days ago, Amazon Web Services (AWS) released their latest offering, CloudFormation. CloudFormation allows for the templating of your application topology, from the number ...
design
What Skills Do Your APIs Offer?
Much has been written about API design techniques – from choosing the right HTTP verb to guidance on response code usage and hypermedia dos and don’ts. We get caught...
Avoiding Monolithic Regret: Moving to Microservices
The last year has seen a considerable spike in the number of articles and discussions around microservices. Many think that a microservice-based architecture is the right answer...
Avoiding Monolithic Regret: Moving to Microservices
The last year has seen a considerable spike in the number of articles and discussions around microservices. Many think that a microservice-based architecture is the right answer...
Resolving the Frontend/Backend API Design Conflict
As part of my API design consulting engagements, I’m often called in to resolve the conflict between the API design that the frontend developers would prefer to have and t...
Lessons From Training 1400+ People in Web API Design
For the last 2 years, Keith Casey and I have been conducted API training workshops with over 1400 participants across nearly a dozen roles. While we are still available for trai...
10 Questions Your API Documentation Must Answer
Effective communication is the most important factor for API success. APIs do not have a user interface, so your documentation is the primary communication method for developers...
Improving Your API Conversations with Hypermedia, ETags, and Real-Time APIs
There is considerable source material on great API design. We can read discussions on how to use HTTP properly, from selecting the proper HTTP verb to which response code(s) are...
Moving Beyond API Reference Documentation
“Great API documentation is essential” many people exclaim. So, you fire up your favorite API definition editor and start writing docs. You learn what YAML is and ho...
How to Build a Great API Marketing Plan
I was recently approached by an API vendor at an API conference. While the encounter wasn’t horrific, I did find a few things related to their API marketing and sales proc...
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
The Accidental API
How your web or mobile API might be putting your business at risk Do you have a web or mobile API? You might, whether you realize it or not. Web APIs are often used to connect a...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
developers
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
development
Resolving the Frontend/Backend API Design Conflict
As part of my API design consulting engagements, I’m often called in to resolve the conflict between the API design that the frontend developers would prefer to have and t...
Resolving the Frontend/Backend API Design Conflict
As part of my API design consulting engagements, I’m often called in to resolve the conflict between the API design that the frontend developers would prefer to have and t...
How To Successfully Deploy Your Web or Mobile API to Heroku
I have deployed a wide variety of APIs, from internal to APIs for public or partner consumption. Many of them have been deployed to Heroku. There are a variety of advantages, in...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
When To Go With a Mobile First Strategy
The mobile first strategy has been an emerging topic for the last several years. But is mobile first really the best strategy for your next product? Let’s examine the thre...
Technical Co-Founder Need Not Apply
Will Miceli recently posted an article, titled Technical Co-Founders Are Overrated, that outlines his journey from idea to finding a partner: I was working on my first entrepren...
Technical Co-Founder Need Not Apply
Will Miceli recently posted an article, titled Technical Co-Founders Are Overrated, that outlines his journey from idea to finding a partner: I was working on my first entrepren...
Developer’s Guide to Building a High Performance Desktop Machine
Laptops can be useful for day-to-day development, but a more powerful machine is required when it comes to working with Very Large Databases (VLDBs) and Big Data. Having some ba...
Developer’s Guide to Building a High Performance Desktop Machine
Laptops can be useful for day-to-day development, but a more powerful machine is required when it comes to working with Very Large Databases (VLDBs) and Big Data. Having some ba...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
What To Do When You Have a Bad Development Team
I recently heard two stories about bad development teams. They are both full of heartache and woe, but they both provide some valuable insight for the business owner about to em...
What To Do When You Have a Bad Development Team
I recently heard two stories about bad development teams. They are both full of heartache and woe, but they both provide some valuable insight for the business owner about to em...
What To Do When You Have a Bad Development Team
I recently heard two stories about bad development teams. They are both full of heartache and woe, but they both provide some valuable insight for the business owner about to em...
digital
Creating an Effective API Program
It can be challenging to establish a healthy API program within your organization. But what happens when your teams start to produce a large number of APIs and microservices? Th...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
digital-transformation
A Look at API Program and Governance Trends for 2024
A look at the API program challenges and opportunities in 2024
Integrating API Generation Software into the API Delivery Lifecycle: A Strategic Approach
API generation software is rethinking how you design APIs
Unlocking Opportunities with API Generation Software
API generation software presents new opportunities for enterprises
Accelerating Digital Transformation with API Generation Software
Reduce the time it takes to design your API
5 Ways Your API C4E Can Engage and Enable Teams
Explore ways your API C4E can support delivery teams
Selecting an API Governance Model
How to select an effective governance model for your API program
Scaling Your API Program with Federated API Coaching
Leverage an API coaching program to scale your API program
Introducing the ADDR API First Design Process
Improve efficiency and reduce cost using ADDR. a scalable API first design process
distributed
Scalable Background Job Processing With Ruby on Rails and Skynet
On a recent project, I needed to be able to run a large number of background jobs. Each job would likely last between 30 seconds and 5 minutes, depending on the amount of work i...
Markup Factory Interview
Nathan at Godbit has an interview with Markup Factory, a hosted CMS, which supports valid user generated HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Markup Factory offers a rich feature set incl...
documentation
What Skills Do Your APIs Offer?
Much has been written about API design techniques – from choosing the right HTTP verb to guidance on response code usage and hypermedia dos and don’ts. We get caught...
Building Your API Documentation Strategy For SUCCESS
So far, we have put together a foundation for our API documentation: 1. We must first move beyond API reference documentation and look for other ways to communicate the value an...
10 Questions Your API Documentation Must Answer
Effective communication is the most important factor for API success. APIs do not have a user interface, so your documentation is the primary communication method for developers...
Moving Beyond API Reference Documentation
“Great API documentation is essential” many people exclaim. So, you fire up your favorite API definition editor and start writing docs. You learn what YAML is and ho...
entrepreneurship
Startup Advice from Brett Hurt, Austin Ventures Partner and BazaarVoice Founder
Brett Hurt has been blogging for some time now. At a recent appearance at the Austin Regulars meetup, Brett answered questions from several audience members. Throughout the conv...
Feel Like a Fraud? You’re Not Alone!
Jason Cohen posted an article about his battle with feeling like a fraud. Jason has a product that allows software developers to perform code reviews of one another’s work...
federated-governance
5 Ways Your API C4E Can Engage and Enable Teams
Explore ways your API C4E can support delivery teams
Selecting an API Governance Model
How to select an effective governance model for your API program
Scaling Your API Program with Federated API Coaching
Leverage an API coaching program to scale your API program
finding
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
Competition Always Exists – Why You?
Maybe you heard it from someone you know. Maybe you have thought it yourself. “My idea is so new and different. There is no competition at all for it!” It isn’...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
for
How to Request Help For Your Startup
As a startup, you need all the help you can get. But requesting the right help can be the biggest challenge. You may not know the right person to ask, or how to ask. Here are a ...
Inspirational Roundup
Everyone hits a difficult point in their startup. It may be that you are trying to bootstrap your idea in your spare time. Or perhaps you are battling a difficult issue and need...
Better Web Designs To Increase Donations
The Carsonified blog has a great post that details the process they took when asking for a donations. The end result is not only pretty form, it makes an direct and positive imp...
Cloud Storage Used For Backup More Than General Purpose Storage
A new survey by Forrester says that just 3% of companies use cloud storage. Here are the stats from the more than 1,200 IT decision makers interviewed: 43% said they’re not inte...
free
FREE Cloud Computing For Startups eBook
We have released a new eBook through our sister website, LaunchAny.com, called Cloud Computing For Startups. The eBook is FREE and offers a simple and concise introduction to cl...
Featured Site: eBooks Just Published
Mark Gladding discovered there’s a lot of great eBooks being published all the time by independent authors. Unfortunately they’re not always that easy to find. Doing a search fo...
Setting Your Idea Free
Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, and Chris Anderson have been talking quite a bit about “free” and what it means. Chris contends that anything that is strictly made of ...
getting
How to Request Help For Your Startup
As a startup, you need all the help you can get. But requesting the right help can be the biggest challenge. You may not know the right person to ask, or how to ask. Here are a ...
Dealing With The Valley of Death: Love Your Idea First
In a recent discussion with a friend and fellow entrepreneur, we discussed how startup founders need persistence. Persistence is usually the trait most associated with successfu...
Godin
Seth Godin says “Don’t Be a Cog”
Seth Godin recently wrote a guest post for Pamela Slim’s Escape From Cubicle Nation blog. In it, Seth had some great things to say about doing what you think is right inst...
Setting Your Idea Free
Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, and Chris Anderson have been talking quite a bit about “free” and what it means. Chris contends that anything that is strictly made of ...
One Step At A Time
Seth Godin posted a great article called “Circling the big domino” where he makes an argument for working the events in order to get your brand known: Envision the e...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
help
How to Request Help For Your Startup
As a startup, you need all the help you can get. But requesting the right help can be the biggest challenge. You may not know the right person to ask, or how to ask. Here are a ...
How to Request Help For Your Startup
As a startup, you need all the help you can get. But requesting the right help can be the biggest challenge. You may not know the right person to ask, or how to ask. Here are a ...
heroku
How To Successfully Deploy Your Web or Mobile API to Heroku
I have deployed a wide variety of APIs, from internal to APIs for public or partner consumption. Many of them have been deployed to Heroku. There are a variety of advantages, in...
Interview with Heroku’s Adam Wiggins
InfoQ has a 16 min video interview with Adam Wiggins from Heroku. In the interview, Adam discusses Ruby 1.9, the Heroku dyno solution, new add-on support, and how they support b...
hypermedia
Improving Your API Conversations with Hypermedia, ETags, and Real-Time APIs
There is considerable source material on great API design. We can read discussions on how to use HTTP properly, from selecting the proper HTTP verb to which response code(s) are...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
JRuby
MySQL Bulk Insert Performance With JRuby and JDBC
I often have need to perform a bulk import of CSV files into MySQL for different projects. Recently, I made the move to the JRuby platform for one of my projects and have benefi...
Why I Selected JRuby For My Ruby Project
For those working on the Ruby platform, this is an interesting time. We have Ruby 1.9 YARV, Rubinius, and JRuby as the most popular Ruby Virtual Machines available right now. Ea...
launching
Inspirational Roundup
Everyone hits a difficult point in their startup. It may be that you are trying to bootstrap your idea in your spare time. Or perhaps you are battling a difficult issue and need...
Start Strong, Finish Strong, Launch Strong
“Finish strong” is a common phrase and something that people try to use to encourage us. People often say that most of the effort of any startup goes into finishing ...
How To Increase Your Idea’s Chance of Success
Jason Cohen has a great interview with Bob Walsh about his products that help startups increase their chances of success. I particularly like the first question in the interview...
low-code
Integrating API Generation Software into the API Delivery Lifecycle: A Strategic Approach
API generation software is rethinking how you design APIs
Unlocking Opportunities with API Generation Software
API generation software presents new opportunities for enterprises
Accelerating Digital Transformation with API Generation Software
Reduce the time it takes to design your API
management
10 Questions Your API Documentation Must Answer
Effective communication is the most important factor for API success. APIs do not have a user interface, so your documentation is the primary communication method for developers...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
Making Your Startup Stand Out In a Sea of Competition
My company, Blue Jazz Consulting, recently launched a new startup called aLawPractice.com. The goal is to reduce the headaches of managing an legal practice while making it simp...
Recruiting Volunteers to Your Cause
Are you launching a cause that will require volunteers? Whether you are launching a new church, para-church ministry, non-profit, or a PTA/school project, you’ll want to c...
Product Audit: Customer Experience
Applications can get familiar and outdated. What worked for your first set of customers may not work for your current, less experienced ones. Or, perhaps your users are getting ...
marketing
Moving Beyond API Reference Documentation
“Great API documentation is essential” many people exclaim. So, you fire up your favorite API definition editor and start writing docs. You learn what YAML is and ho...
How to Build a Great API Marketing Plan
I was recently approached by an API vendor at an API conference. While the encounter wasn’t horrific, I did find a few things related to their API marketing and sales proc...
How to Build a Great API Marketing Plan
I was recently approached by an API vendor at an API conference. While the encounter wasn’t horrific, I did find a few things related to their API marketing and sales proc...
One Step At A Time
Seth Godin posted a great article called “Circling the big domino” where he makes an argument for working the events in order to get your brand known: Envision the e...
Twitter Can Launch Ideas Faster
Twitter has been in the media recently. Not just the expected online and print sources, but often in local news segments. Local news anchors now use Twitter to talk about...
microservices
Slack, Chatbots, and Voice: At the Intersection of Humans and APIs
Over the last year, we have seen growth in messaging platforms for business. These platforms have changed the way we communicate within and across teams. But why have these plat...
Avoiding Monolithic Regret: Moving to Microservices
The last year has seen a considerable spike in the number of articles and discussions around microservices. Many think that a microservice-based architecture is the right answer...
How To Successfully Deploy Your Web or Mobile API to Heroku
I have deployed a wide variety of APIs, from internal to APIs for public or partner consumption. Many of them have been deployed to Heroku. There are a variety of advantages, in...
mobile
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
When To Go With a Mobile First Strategy
The mobile first strategy has been an emerging topic for the last several years. But is mobile first really the best strategy for your next product? Let’s examine the thre...
When To Go With a Mobile First Strategy
The mobile first strategy has been an emerging topic for the last several years. But is mobile first really the best strategy for your next product? Let’s examine the thre...
When To Go With a Mobile First Strategy
The mobile first strategy has been an emerging topic for the last several years. But is mobile first really the best strategy for your next product? Let’s examine the thre...
Recommendations For Mobile API Design
Building a high performance, reliable mobile backend is just as essential to the user experience as the design of the application itself. While building a full mobile backend st...
model
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
mysql
MySQL Bulk Insert Performance With JRuby and JDBC
I often have need to perform a bulk import of CSV files into MySQL for different projects. Recently, I made the move to the JRuby platform for one of my projects and have benefi...
Geofencing with Ruby on Rails and MySQL
I recently launched a startup that required geofencing. For those not familiar with the term, geofencing is the finding of known locations within a specific area around a centra...
of
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
Dealing With The Valley of Death: Love Your Idea First
In a recent discussion with a friend and fellow entrepreneur, we discussed how startup founders need persistence. Persistence is usually the trait most associated with successfu...
How To Increase Your Idea’s Chance of Success
Jason Cohen has a great interview with Bob Walsh about his products that help startups increase their chances of success. I particularly like the first question in the interview...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
on
Why I Selected JRuby For My Ruby Project
For those working on the Ruby platform, this is an interesting time. We have Ruby 1.9 YARV, Rubinius, and JRuby as the most popular Ruby Virtual Machines available right now. Ea...
Interview with Heroku’s Adam Wiggins
InfoQ has a 16 min video interview with Adam Wiggins from Heroku. In the interview, Adam discusses Ruby 1.9, the Heroku dyno solution, new add-on support, and how they support b...
Scalable Background Job Processing With Ruby on Rails and Skynet
On a recent project, I needed to be able to run a large number of background jobs. Each job would likely last between 30 seconds and 5 minutes, depending on the amount of work i...
Geofencing with Ruby on Rails and MySQL
I recently launched a startup that required geofencing. For those not familiar with the term, geofencing is the finding of known locations within a specific area around a centra...
overcoming
How To Increase Your Idea’s Chance of Success
Jason Cohen has a great interview with Bob Walsh about his products that help startups increase their chances of success. I particularly like the first question in the interview...
Feel Like a Fraud? You’re Not Alone!
Jason Cohen posted an article about his battle with feeling like a fraud. Jason has a product that allows software developers to perform code reviews of one another’s work...
pc
Developer’s Guide to Building a High Performance Desktop Machine
Laptops can be useful for day-to-day development, but a more powerful machine is required when it comes to working with Very Large Databases (VLDBs) and Big Data. Having some ba...
Developer’s Guide to Building a High Performance Desktop Machine
Laptops can be useful for day-to-day development, but a more powerful machine is required when it comes to working with Very Large Databases (VLDBs) and Big Data. Having some ba...
product
Slack, Chatbots, and Voice: At the Intersection of Humans and APIs
Over the last year, we have seen growth in messaging platforms for business. These platforms have changed the way we communicate within and across teams. But why have these plat...
10 Questions Your API Documentation Must Answer
Effective communication is the most important factor for API success. APIs do not have a user interface, so your documentation is the primary communication method for developers...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
Product Audit: Customer Experience
Applications can get familiar and outdated. What worked for your first set of customers may not work for your current, less experienced ones. Or, perhaps your users are getting ...
Product Audit: Customer Experience
Applications can get familiar and outdated. What worked for your first set of customers may not work for your current, less experienced ones. Or, perhaps your users are getting ...
rails
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
Why I Selected JRuby For My Ruby Project
For those working on the Ruby platform, this is an interesting time. We have Ruby 1.9 YARV, Rubinius, and JRuby as the most popular Ruby Virtual Machines available right now. Ea...
Interview with Heroku’s Adam Wiggins
InfoQ has a 16 min video interview with Adam Wiggins from Heroku. In the interview, Adam discusses Ruby 1.9, the Heroku dyno solution, new add-on support, and how they support b...
Scalable Background Job Processing With Ruby on Rails and Skynet
On a recent project, I needed to be able to run a large number of background jobs. Each job would likely last between 30 seconds and 5 minutes, depending on the amount of work i...
Geofencing with Ruby on Rails and MySQL
I recently launched a startup that required geofencing. For those not familiar with the term, geofencing is the finding of known locations within a specific area around a centra...
REST
Lessons From Training 1400+ People in Web API Design
For the last 2 years, Keith Casey and I have been conducted API training workshops with over 1400 participants across nearly a dozen roles. While we are still available for trai...
Building Your API Documentation Strategy For SUCCESS
So far, we have put together a foundation for our API documentation: 1. We must first move beyond API reference documentation and look for other ways to communicate the value an...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
Recommendations For Mobile API Design
Building a high performance, reliable mobile backend is just as essential to the user experience as the design of the application itself. While building a full mobile backend st...
Ruby
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
Why I Selected JRuby For My Ruby Project
For those working on the Ruby platform, this is an interesting time. We have Ruby 1.9 YARV, Rubinius, and JRuby as the most popular Ruby Virtual Machines available right now. Ea...
ruby
MySQL Bulk Insert Performance With JRuby and JDBC
I often have need to perform a bulk import of CSV files into MySQL for different projects. Recently, I made the move to the JRuby platform for one of my projects and have benefi...
Why I Selected JRuby For My Ruby Project
For those working on the Ruby platform, this is an interesting time. We have Ruby 1.9 YARV, Rubinius, and JRuby as the most popular Ruby Virtual Machines available right now. Ea...
Interview with Heroku’s Adam Wiggins
InfoQ has a 16 min video interview with Adam Wiggins from Heroku. In the interview, Adam discusses Ruby 1.9, the Heroku dyno solution, new add-on support, and how they support b...
Scalable Background Job Processing With Ruby on Rails and Skynet
On a recent project, I needed to be able to run a large number of background jobs. Each job would likely last between 30 seconds and 5 minutes, depending on the amount of work i...
Geofencing with Ruby on Rails and MySQL
I recently launched a startup that required geofencing. For those not familiar with the term, geofencing is the finding of known locations within a specific area around a centra...
SaaS
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
FREE: Cloud Computing Basics
Wondering what all of the hype is around cloud computing? Cloud computing has been a popular topic lately, including the discussion of various cloud computing solutions such as ...
Making Your Startup Stand Out In a Sea of Competition
My company, Blue Jazz Consulting, recently launched a new startup called aLawPractice.com. The goal is to reduce the headaches of managing an legal practice while making it simp...
security
5 Tips For Wrapping Your Database With a REST API
Just about every mobile and web application is backed by at least one database. These applications often require a web-based API to expose the database(s) for storing, querying,...
The Accidental API
How your web or mobile API might be putting your business at risk Do you have a web or mobile API? You might, whether you realize it or not. Web APIs are often used to connect a...
Seth
Seth Godin says “Don’t Be a Cog”
Seth Godin recently wrote a guest post for Pamela Slim’s Escape From Cubicle Nation blog. In it, Seth had some great things to say about doing what you think is right inst...
Setting Your Idea Free
Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, and Chris Anderson have been talking quite a bit about “free” and what it means. Chris contends that anything that is strictly made of ...
One Step At A Time
Seth Godin posted a great article called “Circling the big domino” where he makes an argument for working the events in order to get your brand known: Envision the e...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
small
Grow Big, Stay Small
I have worked with quite a few startups, each of varying sizes. The thing that I’ve noticed consistently with each startup: they moved and adapted to change faster when th...
Grow Big, Stay Small
I have worked with quite a few startups, each of varying sizes. The thing that I’ve noticed consistently with each startup: they moved and adapted to change faster when th...
Grow Big, Stay Small
I have worked with quite a few startups, each of varying sizes. The thing that I’ve noticed consistently with each startup: they moved and adapted to change faster when th...
SOA
Slack, Chatbots, and Voice: At the Intersection of Humans and APIs
Over the last year, we have seen growth in messaging platforms for business. These platforms have changed the way we communicate within and across teams. But why have these plat...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
software
Avoiding Monolithic Regret: Moving to Microservices
The last year has seen a considerable spike in the number of articles and discussions around microservices. Many think that a microservice-based architecture is the right answer...
How Cloud APIs Transformed The Way We Build Software and Data Centers
I was recently asked why more companies are not taking more advantage of Cloud APIs from their cloud service providers to power their software product and IT initiatives. These ...
Technical Co-Founder Need Not Apply
Will Miceli recently posted an article, titled Technical Co-Founders Are Overrated, that outlines his journey from idea to finding a partner: I was working on my first entrepren...
Why I Selected JRuby For My Ruby Project
For those working on the Ruby platform, this is an interesting time. We have Ruby 1.9 YARV, Rubinius, and JRuby as the most popular Ruby Virtual Machines available right now. Ea...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
startup
Inspirational Roundup
Everyone hits a difficult point in their startup. It may be that you are trying to bootstrap your idea in your spare time. Or perhaps you are battling a difficult issue and need...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
Start Strong, Finish Strong, Launch Strong
“Finish strong” is a common phrase and something that people try to use to encourage us. People often say that most of the effort of any startup goes into finishing ...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
startups
Startup Advice from Brett Hurt, Austin Ventures Partner and BazaarVoice Founder
Brett Hurt has been blogging for some time now. At a recent appearance at the Austin Regulars meetup, Brett answered questions from several audience members. Throughout the conv...
How to Request Help For Your Startup
As a startup, you need all the help you can get. But requesting the right help can be the biggest challenge. You may not know the right person to ask, or how to ask. Here are a ...
How to Request Help For Your Startup
As a startup, you need all the help you can get. But requesting the right help can be the biggest challenge. You may not know the right person to ask, or how to ask. Here are a ...
Technical Co-Founder Need Not Apply
Will Miceli recently posted an article, titled Technical Co-Founders Are Overrated, that outlines his journey from idea to finding a partner: I was working on my first entrepren...
Inspirational Roundup
Everyone hits a difficult point in their startup. It may be that you are trying to bootstrap your idea in your spare time. Or perhaps you are battling a difficult issue and need...
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
FREE Cloud Computing For Startups eBook
We have released a new eBook through our sister website, LaunchAny.com, called Cloud Computing For Startups. The eBook is FREE and offers a simple and concise introduction to cl...
FREE: Cloud Computing Basics
Wondering what all of the hype is around cloud computing? Cloud computing has been a popular topic lately, including the discussion of various cloud computing solutions such as ...
Start Strong, Finish Strong, Launch Strong
“Finish strong” is a common phrase and something that people try to use to encourage us. People often say that most of the effort of any startup goes into finishing ...
Grow Big, Stay Small
I have worked with quite a few startups, each of varying sizes. The thing that I’ve noticed consistently with each startup: they moved and adapted to change faster when th...
Cloud Storage Used For Backup More Than General Purpose Storage
A new survey by Forrester says that just 3% of companies use cloud storage. Here are the stats from the more than 1,200 IT decision makers interviewed: 43% said they’re not inte...
How To Increase Your Idea’s Chance of Success
Jason Cohen has a great interview with Bob Walsh about his products that help startups increase their chances of success. I particularly like the first question in the interview...
Top Ways Social Media Can Launch Your Idea
Lewis Howes has a short video (5:48) on how to use social media to communicate with your audience and grow your idea. Here are his tips: Be yourself rather than acting like R...
Feel Like a Fraud? You’re Not Alone!
Jason Cohen posted an article about his battle with feeling like a fraud. Jason has a product that allows software developers to perform code reviews of one another’s work...
Making Your Startup Stand Out In a Sea of Competition
My company, Blue Jazz Consulting, recently launched a new startup called aLawPractice.com. The goal is to reduce the headaches of managing an legal practice while making it simp...
Seth Godin says “Don’t Be a Cog”
Seth Godin recently wrote a guest post for Pamela Slim’s Escape From Cubicle Nation blog. In it, Seth had some great things to say about doing what you think is right inst...
Markup Factory Interview
Nathan at Godbit has an interview with Markup Factory, a hosted CMS, which supports valid user generated HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Markup Factory offers a rich feature set incl...
Markup Factory Interview
Nathan at Godbit has an interview with Markup Factory, a hosted CMS, which supports valid user generated HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Markup Factory offers a rich feature set incl...
Eric Ries on Staying Focused
Eric Ries, author of the Lessons Learned blog and founder of IMVU, recently wrote a post about his 10 year anniversary as an entrepreneur: One thing really stands out to me toda...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
strategy
Building Your API Documentation Strategy For SUCCESS
So far, we have put together a foundation for our API documentation: 1. We must first move beyond API reference documentation and look for other ways to communicate the value an...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
The recent API obsession (and why it matters)
Note: This article is now available in PDF format, includes more content, and is useful for offline reading and sharing. Click here to download a copy. There has been a good dea...
swagger
Building Your API Documentation Strategy For SUCCESS
So far, we have put together a foundation for our API documentation: 1. We must first move beyond API reference documentation and look for other ways to communicate the value an...
Moving Beyond API Reference Documentation
“Great API documentation is essential” many people exclaim. So, you fire up your favorite API definition editor and start writing docs. You learn what YAML is and ho...
team
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
What To Do When You Have a Bad Development Team
I recently heard two stories about bad development teams. They are both full of heartache and woe, but they both provide some valuable insight for the business owner about to em...
teams
Technical Co-Founder Need Not Apply
Will Miceli recently posted an article, titled Technical Co-Founders Are Overrated, that outlines his journey from idea to finding a partner: I was working on my first entrepren...
How To Locate a Developer For Your Startup
In a recent question posted at the OnStartups forums, a founder asked how to find a developer for their Software as a Service (SaaS) idea. While I was able to provide some advic...
How To Select A Development Team For Your Startup
One of the big decisions for any new startup is the selection of a development team. Whether you need just one developer or you need a complete team, there are five important th...
What To Do When You Have a Bad Development Team
I recently heard two stories about bad development teams. They are both full of heartache and woe, but they both provide some valuable insight for the business owner about to em...
technical
What Skills Do Your APIs Offer?
Much has been written about API design techniques – from choosing the right HTTP verb to guidance on response code usage and hypermedia dos and don’ts. We get caught...
What Skills Do Your APIs Offer?
Much has been written about API design techniques – from choosing the right HTTP verb to guidance on response code usage and hypermedia dos and don’ts. We get caught...
testing
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
Building Better APIs in Ruby (and Rails)
I recently presented a lightning talk at Austin on Rails titled “5 ways to build better APIs in Ruby”. Below is the slide deck, along with a coupon code to our book ...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
the
Dealing With The Valley of Death: Love Your Idea First
In a recent discussion with a friend and fellow entrepreneur, we discussed how startup founders need persistence. Persistence is usually the trait most associated with successfu...
Dealing With The Valley of Death: Love Your Idea First
In a recent discussion with a friend and fellow entrepreneur, we discussed how startup founders need persistence. Persistence is usually the trait most associated with successfu...
How to Deepen Your Network and Grow Your Startup
Chris Brogan has a great list of tips for expanding your business network over the coming year. In fact, many of his ideas are about what not to do, such as stop networking at c...
training
Lessons From Training 1400+ People in Web API Design
For the last 2 years, Keith Casey and I have been conducted API training workshops with over 1400 participants across nearly a dozen roles. While we are still available for trai...
The Accidental API
How your web or mobile API might be putting your business at risk Do you have a web or mobile API? You might, whether you realize it or not. Web APIs are often used to connect a...
When Should Companies Implement a Web API Training Program?
I was recently asked what the key indicators might be that an organization should look to implement a modern web API training program. It is a great question, so I wanted to sha...
How To Design a Great API Training Program
There is no shortage of web API-related training programs. Some focus on the technical details, while others explore the various aspects of great API design. However, most train...
Announcing the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API” Workshop
I am pleased to announce that LaunchAny and Casey Software have teamed up to provide a new, onsite API workshop called the “Fundamentals of Designing a Great API.” T...
valley
Dealing With The Valley of Death: Love Your Idea First
In a recent discussion with a friend and fellow entrepreneur, we discussed how startup founders need persistence. Persistence is usually the trait most associated with successfu...
How To Increase Your Idea’s Chance of Success
Jason Cohen has a great interview with Bob Walsh about his products that help startups increase their chances of success. I particularly like the first question in the interview...
venture
Startup Advice from Brett Hurt, Austin Ventures Partner and BazaarVoice Founder
Brett Hurt has been blogging for some time now. At a recent appearance at the Austin Regulars meetup, Brett answered questions from several audience members. Throughout the conv...
Technical Co-Founder Need Not Apply
Will Miceli recently posted an article, titled Technical Co-Founders Are Overrated, that outlines his journey from idea to finding a partner: I was working on my first entrepren...
Bootstrap Whenever You Can
Many startups immediately focus on obtaining large-scale investors. The focus is so intense, that many make the investors more important than the customers. Not only does this l...
volunteers
Recruiting Volunteers to Your Cause
Are you launching a cause that will require volunteers? Whether you are launching a new church, para-church ministry, non-profit, or a PTA/school project, you’ll want to c...
Recruiting Volunteers to Your Cause
Are you launching a cause that will require volunteers? Whether you are launching a new church, para-church ministry, non-profit, or a PTA/school project, you’ll want to c...
web
FREE: Cloud Computing Basics
Wondering what all of the hype is around cloud computing? Cloud computing has been a popular topic lately, including the discussion of various cloud computing solutions such as ...
Product Audit: Customer Experience
Applications can get familiar and outdated. What worked for your first set of customers may not work for your current, less experienced ones. Or, perhaps your users are getting ...
with
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
your
Inspirational Roundup
Everyone hits a difficult point in their startup. It may be that you are trying to bootstrap your idea in your spare time. Or perhaps you are battling a difficult issue and need...
How To Work With Software Developers
I recently wrote a post about how to select a development team for your startup. Once you’ve selected a developer or development team, you need to understand how to work w...
How to Deepen Your Network and Grow Your Startup
Chris Brogan has a great list of tips for expanding your business network over the coming year. In fact, many of his ideas are about what not to do, such as stop networking at c...
Launching Your Startup’s Business Model
Seth Godin has a great definition of business model: A business model is the architecture of a business or project. It has four elements: What compelling reason exists for peopl...
social
Top Ways Social Media Can Launch Your Idea
Lewis Howes has a short video (5:48) on how to use social media to communicate with your audience and grow your idea. Here are his tips: Be yourself rather than acting like R...