APIs in DFW

I just got back from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I visited Dallas last night to help kick off the first gathering of the DFW API Professionals Meetup.

We got together at Microsoft around 6PM and I talked from 6:30 until 8:00, evolving on my From Web, to ProgrammableWeb to ProgrammableWorld talk.

The meetup was about 45 people ranging from developers to investors. I showed up with a lot of content, but I wanted to make sure and cover the full API spectrum, while also introducing some new content about specifically about API consumption.

During the event I had some time to get to know the theRightAPI, ProxomoLayer 7 Technologies and Pariveda Solutions folks--while connecting with the rest of the meet up group members.

Then, this morning theRightAPI crew brought me out to Plano, TX to the AT&T Foundry (@attfoundry), where I got to talk with Vincent Button (@vebutton) and Jennifer Conley (@jenniferconley). I was a little blown away by what I saw. It wasn't what I was used when visiting the campuses of big telco companies in the past. The facility was something you associate with Silicon Valley and Bay Area. Open layout with a variety of people working on things ranging from voice solutions to the internet of things.

Afterwards, Jennifer walked us up to the Gravity Center, which has been provided access to AT&T and Alcatel-Lucent resources to support multiple startups in the North Texas area. I got to meet to the BookShout team and hear about how they are navigating and working to change the book publishing space, while allowing people to discover books, and build social networks around books and authors.

I'm pretty impressed with what I saw in Texas in the last 48 hours. I met some pretty tech savvy people building interesting startups, putting APIs to use in meaningful ways, and a community around them that is investing in what they are doing. While I was there, I saw all the same elements for startup success I see in Silicon Valley, but without much of the hype.

I was stoked to be able to help kick off the DFW API Professionals Meetup Group. I appreciate theRightAPI for bringing me out, and Proxomo, Layer 7 and Pariveda Solutions for making it happen.