Twilio Startup Labs Founder Spotlight: Samuel Abaka-Wood, Shepherd

This is a post in a series of interviews with startup founders who have worked with Twilio Startup Labs, a program for developers at early-stage startups to learn how to build, prototype & DEMO on Twilio. We had the pleasure of working with Samuel Abaka-Wood on his startup, Shepherd.

Describe your startup in 160 characters or less (the original length of a text message)

Transforming Bible reading through personalized daily text recommendations, viral reach in just three months.

Why did you start your company?

It started when one of my loved ones was finding it hard to read the Bible every day. But, when they did read it, they felt more centred and at peace. This got me thinking, "Could I make something to help them read the Bible more?"

So, over a weekend, I created a very simple app called Shepherd. It was simple but they loved it. At first, only my family and friends used Shepherd. But then, they told their friends, and their friends told more friends. Just like that, Shepherd began to grow, helping more and more people every day.

Shepherd isn't like other Bible apps. It's more like having a daily chat with a good friend, a friend who always knows the best part of the Bible to share with you. As more people used Shepherd, I realized that lots of others might like it too. So, I decided it was time for everyone to be able to use Shepherd.

Fast forward to today, and Shepherd has over 300 people using it! We've heard wonderful stories from our users. From parents battling postpartum depression and folks just needing a daily pick-me-up. They say that Shepherd has made a big difference in their lives. You can read some of their stories right here.

How are you building on Twilio? E.g. How do you use email, SMS, WhatsApp, Verify etc. to communicate with your customers?

At the heart of Shepherd is the need to communicate effectively and promptly with our users. That's where Twilio comes into play. Twilio is the backbone that allows us to reach out to our users in the most convenient way for them, which in our case is primarily through SMS.

Our use of Twilio goes beyond just sending a generic regular SMS though. We've designed Shepherd to initiate a daily check-in with each user via text, where we gauge their current mood or situation using sentiment analysis. Based on their response, we use Twilio to send a customized reply with an uplifting Bible verse tailored to their needs. This interaction feels personal, much like a conversation with a friend, and that's largely thanks to the capabilities provided by Twilio's programmable SMS service.

We even account for different time zones, making sure that our users get their personalized messages scheduled at a convenient time, no matter where they are in the world.

In our ongoing efforts to expand our reach, we're integrating more communication channels. One exciting development is our recent integration of email services powered by SendGrid, a Twilio company, along with other platforms like WhatsApp, all offered by Twilio. This multi-channel approach is designed to cater to our users' preferences, letting them choose the medium that suits them the best.

So, in a nutshell, Twilio is the engine that powers our ability to connect with our users in a personal and responsive way. Without Twilio, it would be challenging to deliver the level of service and interaction that we currently provide through Shepherd.

What has the benefit or commercial impact been for your business since using Twilio?

Twilio effectively manages all the intricate queuing and messaging systems required for sending SMS, working behind the scenes. This allows us to focus on our core business and not have to worry about any messaging issues.

By building on Twilio what has the impact been for your customers?

Twilio allows Shepherd's users to seamlessly receive daily Bible verses and engage with the app effectively and personally.

Are there any future Twilio Products that you plan to integrate into your startup and if so why?

We have our eye on a few more Twilio products such as WhatsApp. That’s an exciting space for us as it allows us to use internet based messaging as well as SMS. Meaning we can reach more customers globally.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to founders who are looking to build on Twilio?

Don’t rush. Focus on making something people want. If you make something one person loves - it’s very likely a lot more people will love it too.

Build a specific solution for a specific person / entity

Make the product so good that they love it and want to share it organically

Only then, focus on scaling it out to more as many people who fit that ideal customer profile

What excites you most about being a founder?

The alchemy of going from an idea to building an mvp to an actual business with paying customers. I love the whole process from start to finish.

Thank you for reading, if you have any questions about Twilio Startups Labs please contact Frank Y. Owusu on fyawowusu@twilio.com.