Zapier - Dec 2012 - SugarCRM AotM

Zapier is the December 2012 SugarCRM App of the Month. Zapier extends the functionality of SugarCRM with hundreds of best in breed software applications. You can easily connect Sugar with Google Apps, MailChimp, Trello, Highrise and hundred of other applications without writing code. Visit the SugarForge project.

Name, title and brief bio?

Wade Foster, Co-founder and CEO of Zapier. Wade Foster is the 25-year-old co-founder of Zapier, a service that helps you extend the functionality of every web service you use. Foster lives in Mountain View, CA. You can follow him on Twitter at @wadefoster.

When you designed and built this app, what problems were you looking to solve for SugarCRM users?

Connecting SugarCRM to other web services isn't easy for most people. It involves contracting developers, searching for plugins, and testing tons of software that may or may not work.

Zapier solves that problem. If you're not sure if SugarCRM works with another web service or application you can just visit the SugarCRM integrations page on Zapier and choose from 120+ different integration with the most popular web services that exist

What inspired you to build this app?

My co-founders and I have built SaaS services before. One of the most frustrating things for SaaS providers and for consumers is that integrations are hard to do and hard to provide. We'd tell customers "no" everyday for certain integrations they wanted and I know they ended up going elsewhere.

Zapier solves that problem for SaaS providers and consumers. Now you can use the tool you want. SaaS providers don't have to tell consumers "no" and consumers get to use the app they wanted to use.

What attracted you to being a part of the Sugar ecosystem?

When it comes to CRM, Sugar is one of the top players in the game and is an in demand integration for lots of people. Having a SugarCRM connector helps a lot of people so it made sense.

What other apps have you been involved with in the Sugar ecosystem?

This is the first SugarCRM apps I've been a part of.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a part of the Sugar ecosystem?

SugarCRM was easy to work with, the customers are first class, and the people behind Sugar are great too. Many times you find great tools, but finding good people behind the tools is hard. With Sugar I've only had the pleasure of meeting good people.

How has Sugar's open ecosystem and vast community made building this app?

That's one of the best parts about Sugar. We were able to have the integration up and running in a single night of work because of how open and how collaborative the community is.

What do you want to build next for Sugar?

We want to make sure Zapier is a place that any Sugar customer can come for integrations. Right now we support 120 different services, but there's way more web apps than 120. We want anyone using SugarCRM and another web service to be able to find the integrations they need through Zapier.