Apply for Twilio Heroes: Soft Skills Developers Need to Succeed

Apply for Twilio Heroes: Soft Skills Developers Need to Succeed

One of the benefits of the role of a developer evangelist is the resources you gain from being a part of a community, both on and offline. To enhance your community experience and help you upgrade your skill set, we’re launching the Twilio Heroes program.  You’ll learn the ins and outs of how to become a more well-rounded software developer by:

• Launching a developer event in your community
• Learning how to be an epic public speaker
• Creating a technical project from scratch

Writing technical content that is clear, concise, and drives action
You’ll be a part of online conversations with guest speakers, have access to Twilio swag, and interact with mentors from the Twilio Developer Evangelism team.

Who should apply to be a Twilio hero:

• An aspiring developer evangelist
• A developer who wants to be a more active member of their local community
• A developer looking for mentorship
• A developer looking to improve his/her communication, management, and organizational skills.

If you are interested in joining the program, please click HERE to apply. Applications MUST be received by December 31, 2013. To keep this program valuable to participants, we are limiting the program size.

Program Details

Twilio Heroes will be a 6 month program with four tracks. Meetings will take place via Google Hangout and email. We ask that you complete all four tracks. They are as follows:

• Orientation: January 7
• Track A: January 13 – February 21
• • Technical writing and content
• Track B: February 24 – April 4
• • Completing a project
• Track C: April 7 – May 16
• • Hosting a hack/developer event
• Track D: May 19 – June 27
• • Public Speaking

We can’t wait to work with you. Apply here.

Twilio Heroes FAQ

What is Twilio Heroes?

The Twilio Heroes program is a 6-month skill development program for students and software professionals who are interested in improving their all around skill set, making a difference in developer communities, and learning about developer evangelism.

What is the Barn Owl (Spring/Summer) program timeline?

Orientation: January 7

• • Technical Writing and Content Track: January 13 – February 21

     

  • Technical Project Track: February 24 – April 4

     

  • Event Track: April 7 – May 16

     

  • Public Speaking Track: May 19 – June 27

     

Why is it called Barn Owl?

One of Twilio’s 9 values is to “Draw The Owl” When there’s no roadmap, go forth, build and ship it. Each Heroes class will be named after an Owl to honor that DOer sentiment.

What are the goals for the program?

• Introduce Heroes to new concepts and ideas that will help them build better software.

   

• Broaden the skills of software developers.

   

• Provide Heroes with developer-centric tools and resources needed to positively impact their developer communities.

   

Where does everything take place?

The majority of the program activities will take place online, with a few exceptions for events or conferences.  We will do our best to work around time zone issues and accommodate schedules. However, participants outside of North America be aware that some program activities will be conducted via live stream. If you cannot attend a call or video stream, recordings will be distributed to participants after the event.

What does the application process look like?

After your initial application is submitted, you will receive an email with a link to a form with basic interview questions for you to complete by the end of the application period. After the deadline, we will personally review each application and make our admission decisions within 5-7 business days. If necessary, we may reach out to you for a phone interview.

How do you decide who gets in?

We will admit a maximum of 12-15 applicants to the 2014 Barn Owl class.
Here is what we’re looking for in a Barn Owl:

• A love of software development.
• Several side projects.
• A demonstrated interest in at least two of the following: web development, technical documentation (API documentation, blog posts, etc), public speaking, and developer events.
• Active leadership and/or participation in developer communities.
• Excitement for developer-centric products and a passion for empowering others.

What is expected of a Twilio Hero?

The program is designed to feel more like a skill development accelerator than a class. Participants will work on a total of four projects (one for each track) and check in with mentors to get feedback on their projects. There is no penalty for opting out of a track, but we highly recommend that you participate in all four tracks of the program. Participants will have the freedom to work on a new or existing project, and work at their own pace. We recommend that you work on your project for a few hours each week, but there are no specific time requirements. What you accomplish or get out of the program is largely up to you.

Am I required to evangelize Twilio?

No. Participants are not required to evangelize Twilio in any capacity. If you would like to represent Twilio or the Twilio Heroes Program at an event or online, you are free to do so, as long as you represent the program and brand in a respectful manner.

Are there any age restrictions?

You must be 18 years of age or older before January 7, 2014 to be eligible to participate in the Barn Owl program. If selected, you may need to provide documentation to verify your age. If you are under the age of 18, please email us at heroes@twilio.com to find out how to get involved in our community in other ways.

Any other restrictions?

Any student or professional 18 years of age or older in any country is eligible for the program. Participants are only eligible to participate in the program once. Alumni can stay engaged with the program through social channels and might be eligible to contribute as a mentor in the future.

What if I have a question not answered in this FAQ?

Please email heroes@twilio.com with your questions and we will get back to you within 24 hours..