When it comes to cloud service providers, it's hard to find any company more impressive than Twilio lately. It seems like everyone is talking about the potential of Twilio, and what the API has already achieved. In fact, if you've used Netflix, Airbnb, or Lyft, then you've already used Twilio.
Twilio is a cloud communications platform that's simple, powerful, and innovative. It allows you to add messaging, video, voice, and authentication solutions to your software, all in the programming language that you're already using. But, you probably already know all that…
Here are a few things that you might not know about the poster-child of cloud comms.
1. It's CEO and Co-Founder Contributed to AWS
Not sure about the expertise behind Twilio? The fact that Jeff Lawson, CEO and co-founder help to build Amazon Web Services should be enough to put your mind at ease. Apparently, Amazon welcomed Lawson to the team in 2004, and though he only spent 15 months with the company, he learned everything he needed to build IaaS solutions.
Lawson quickly realised that he could use the AWS model on mobile devices by integrating communication solutions into apps directly, through APIs. This concept became the very foundation of Twilio. Today, Twilio still runs on AWS, and Amazon still uses the Twilio API in its SMS notifications, chatbots, and Chime communication service, among other things.
2. All "Twilions" Contribute to Company Growth
All Twilio employees, known as "Twilions", are required to create a new app based on Twilio, and show it to the company. Even people without tech know-how are sent through a coding boot camp to do the same thing.
Although many of the apps produced aren't practical, the idea is that anyone, including people without a coding background, can learn to build an app on Twilio. Once a Twilion has passed their coding test, they get a branded track jacket and an Amazon Kindle with $30 of credit. The company is all about encouraging its employees to invest in themselves.
3. It Gained a Boost from 500 Start-ups
One of the biggest backers for Twilio towards the beginning was "Dave McClure's 500 start-ups". This was a seed accelerator solution and early-stage venture fund. By 2010, 500 start-ups had launched the "Twilio Fund", which set aside about $250,000 in seed money for start-ups using Twilio's API.
