Julian Shapiro

Background

Julian Shapiro is a Canadian entrepreneur and writer. He did not complete a formal university degree, instead choosing to pursue a career in technology and startups directly after high school. His early career was defined by founding and working on several technology startups, which provided him with practical experience in software development, marketing, and business operations.

Major contributions

Julian Shapiro is the founder of BellCurve.com, a growth marketing agency that advises and implements strategies for technology companies. He is also the creator of Velocity.js, a high-performance animation engine designed to speed up website UI animations. Furthermore, he is the author of the "Startup Marketing Handbook" and the "Growth Handbook," comprehensive online guides that distill marketing principles for entrepreneurs. He co-founded a startup accelerator and has been involved in the founding or early stages of several other technology ventures.

Impact on their field

Shapiro's work has had a significant impact in the domains of startup growth and web development. His writing on marketing is widely cited and used as an educational resource within the startup community. The Velocity.js library improved the performance and user experience of countless websites by providing a faster alternative to jQuery's animation capabilities. His agency, BellCurve, has directly influenced the growth trajectories of its client companies by applying data-driven marketing techniques.

Current work/relevance

Julian Shapiro currently leads BellCurve.com, focusing on helping B2B SaaS companies scale their customer acquisition. He continues to maintain and update his public handbooks on marketing and startup growth. He is also an active angel investor, providing capital and mentorship to early-stage technology startups. His public writing and Twitter presence keep him a relevant voice in discussions concerning marketing, productivity, and startup strategy.

Julian Shapiro is an entrepreneur, writer, and investor known for his work at the intersection of technology, business, and personal development. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and has spent his career building and advising startups, establishing himself as a thoughtful voice in the tech community.

Why they matter

Julian’s key achievements span from founding successful companies to creating widely-used educational resources. He is the founder of BellCurve.com, a growth marketing agency that has helped numerous tech companies scale. He also launched a startup studio to help other entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. Beyond his business ventures, he is a prolific angel investor, backing early-stage companies with promising potential.

What they’re known for

Julian is best known for his popular, high-quality writing. His long-form essays and guides are celebrated for their clarity and practical advice.

His comprehensive guide on "How to Build a Startup" is a go-to resource for new founders.

He created a famous guide on "Web Animation" that became an industry standard for designers and developers.

His newsletter and blog cover topics like productivity, career strategy, and startup growth, attracting a large and dedicated readership.