Can We Talk About Twilio Quest?
We’ve all heard of imposter syndrome, and most of us have plenty of experience with the aches and pains it causes. When you are learning a new language, framework, or platform; how do you dive in? How do you know you are you using the right learning tools? Is there a better course somewhere, or are you being taught outdated information? All of these doubts are par for the course when you are trying to pick up some new piece of tech. However, I recently found a company that is taking extra strides in making their platform more accessible to new users in a way that is fun, informative, and effective.
Let’s talk about Twilio.
I was recently offered a scholarship to attend Twilio’s Signal Conference in San Francisco. I accepted it immediately, and then my doubt set in. I am not experienced in communications technology; I had NO idea what to expect from this conference. I didn’t want to be the only one there that was completely clueless about what Twilio does or how to use their products. I was a walking ball of anxiety as I strolled through those doors for the Super Class. Thankfully, that feeling didn’t last long.
We were placed into sections based on which language or framework we were choosing to use for the class; for me that was Node.js. My table had a dedicated Twilio professional there to answer my questions and help me with any issues I encountered. I took out my laptop and went to the Twilio Quest welcome page to get started.
After creating an account, you are brought to your personalized homepage that contains a myriad of tracks you can follow for each of Twilio’s platforms.
Obviously, starting with the “Getting Started” mission is a good choice if you are brand new to Twilio; it will walk you through setting up a Twilio phone number to use for all of their products (I believe a Twilio number starts at $1 a month). From there, you can start working with Programmable SMS, Voice, or Video, Twilio Flex, Autopilot, and more. The lessons are clear and help you enable your phone number for each product while giving you examples on how to write the code you’ll need to get your program working.
Each mission has a main objective as well as a list of victory conditions that clue you in to when you have completed that objective. At the bottom of the mission page, there are step-by-step instructions on setting up your Twilio number and how to structure your code.
Not only does this game help you learn the ins and outs of each product Twilio has to offer, it also genuinely helps you learn how to use them. Sure, you won’t have a Twilio rep there to help answer your questions in person, but they also have a support team you can reach out to if you have any issues walking through the missions.
Can you imagine how much more welcoming new technologies would feel if other companies started adopting this approach to learning? This is a fun, accessible, and intuitive game made to help you increase your knowledge of their product base. There are no frills, no expectations, and since it is self-paced, there’s no pressure either. I’m not saying every company needs to have a video game to teach their product usage to new users, but finding a way to keep them engaged and clarify difficult concepts is such a great idea. Why just have a link to docs when you could build something that will keep your users coming back for more? I have no idea what I will use Twilio’s product line for yet, but I know I will be using it. They made an impression on me with it that really stuck (obviously). Twilio knocked it out of the park with this game, and I hope other companies figure out how to get creative and encouraging with their product introductions as well. Check it out for yourself, and let me know what you build!
