How Zapier Really Started: YC Rejection, $100 Beta, and AI’s Big Shift

How Zapier Really Started: YC Rejection, $100 Beta, and AI’s Big Shift

Wade Foster, CEO and co-founder of Zapier, walks through the real origin story of how a hackathon project in Missouri became a $200M+ automation platform powering thousands of integrations and hundreds of employees. This episode covers the unfiltered startup journey: • Building Zapier from a real personal frustration with software integration • Why YC rejected them the first time, and what changed • The second application that unlocked everything • How a rough $100 beta validated product market fit instantly • Why imperfect products often reveal truth faster than polished ones • The evolution from early founder execution to large-scale leadership • How AI is fundamentally changing automation and software creation If you’re a founder, operator, or builder, this episode is about one thing: execution beats planning. Listen through for Wade’s perspective on shipping early, avoiding analysis paralysis, and learning directly from reality instead of assumptions. #Zapier #WadeFoster #StartupStories #AI #Automation #Founders #Entrepreneurship #ProductMarketFit #YC #BusinessPodcast

The Strategy That Turns Experts Into Authorities

What if your book was not just something you sold, but one of the most powerful marketing tools your business could ever have? In this episode of Making BIG Shifts, Josh Anderson sits down with Henry DeVries, publisher of Indie Books International, host of Agency Rainmaker TV, and ghostwriter/editor of more than 200 business books. Henry breaks down why business leaders, consultants, agency owners, and entrepreneurs should stop thinking about “marketing a book” and start thinking about marketing with a book. Henry also shares a special offer for Making BIG Shifts listeners. Mention Josh Anderson when reaching out to Henry, and you can get access to his two-hour book kickoff class at no cost - a $365 Connect with Henry: https://indiebooksintl.com [https://indiebooksintl.com] Listen now if you are an entrepreneur, consultant, agency owner, or expert who knows there is a bigger story inside your business. #MakingBigShifts #MarketingReboot #BusinessBooks #AuthorityMarketing #Entrepreneurship #Storytelling #PersonalBranding #ThoughtLeadership

The Career Trap Almost Every High Performer Falls Into

Most high performers don’t burn out because they fail. They burn out because they succeed at the wrong game. In this episode of Making BIG Shifts, Josh Anderson sits down with Monica McKitterick, nurse practitioner, CEO of Impact Family Wellness, and founder in the Direct Primary Care space. After years inside a system driven by insurance, paperwork, and volume over care, she made a $20,000 bet on a different model. One focused on access, relationships, prevention, and real patient care. What started as a leap into the unknown turned into three clinics, a growing team, and eventually a harder decision. Stop optimizing for more, and start optimizing for life. In this episode, we break down: • The hidden career trap most high performers fall into• Why more growth often quietly reduces freedom• What Direct Primary Care actually changes in healthcare• How most founders misread success signals early on• Why marketing and sales matter even in medicine• The turning point between scaling and sustainability• How to know when “more” is no longer the right answer If you are a founder, healthcare provider, operator, or high performer building something meaningful, this conversation will challenge how you define success. Listen to the full episode, like, subscribe to Making BIG Shifts, and share this with someone who is building fast but starting to question what it is costing them. #MakingBigShifts #Leadership #Burnout #Entrepreneurship #HighPerformance #CareerGrowth #Healthcare #DirectPrimaryCare #BusinessStrategy

The $1M Mistake That Taught This Founder to Focus

In this episode of Making BIG Shifts, host Josh Anderson sits down with Graeme Barlow, four-time founder, CEO of Iversoft, and founder of FounderLink and Barlow Consulting, to talk about the hard lessons that come from building, scaling, and selling companies over more than two decades. Graeme shares the most expensive mistake of his career, losing focus, and how expanding Iversoft into too many services nearly broke the business. He walks through the painful decision to downsize half the company, the mindset required to protect momentum, and why founders often grow faster by doing less. Josh and Graeme also dig into fundraising, AI’s impact on services and marketing agencies, building strong teams, investing in early-stage companies, and the simple framework Graeme uses to help founders get unstuck: cash, customers, or delivery. This is a real conversation about focus, hard decisions, team energy, AI, and what it actually takes to build a company that lasts. Connect with today’s speakers: Graeme Barlow: https://www.graemebarlow.com/ [https://www.graemebarlow.com/] FounderLink: https://www.founderlink.com/ [https://www.founderlink.com/] #MakingBIGShifts #Entrepreneurship #FounderAdvice #StartupGrowth #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #ScalingBusiness #Fundraising #AIinBusiness

How LESS Work Made Him DOUBLE The Money

In this episode of Making BIG Shifts, Jonathan David Lewis, President and Partner at McKee Wallwork and author of The Rebuilders, shares why the best leaders know when to say no, how to lead through disruption, and why rebuilding yourself is the first step to rebuilding your business. From navigating industry change and AI to creating thriving cultures, Jonathan delivers practical insights for founders, CEOs, and leaders ready to make their next big shift. Listen now and discover how clarity, courage, and character drive lasting growth. #MakingBIGShifts #JonathanDavidLewis #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #TheRebuilders