Wayne
January usually feels like it’s lasted for about 16 weeks, but not this year.
Kicking off the new year I’ve started logging our weekly wins in an effort to take in the great things we’re achieving. 2025, like the years before it, flew by. So far this year we have:
- Welcomed Nick, a React developer, who is settling in quickly (more from him below)
- Completed the development of an exciting mobile app
- Received super feedback from a client after their site went live
- Booked in two new websites in the first week of the month, alongside several other projects which are ready to go
- Posted two new roles (BDM and Administrator)
- Filled those two roles
- Had several productive sessions with Tim with plenty of planning
- Got shortlisted for a large tender project and invited to present – which we subsequently lost out on – but we go again!
Redundancies Continue Around Us
Unfortunately, this year has started where the last one left off; with redundancies throughout the industry. It’s hardly surprising with business rates, NI contributions and utilities higher than ever, coupled with massive post-Covid wage inflations and businesses having to be more selective with what they invest in; what did we think was going to happen? Having been made redundant myself in 2009 I have sympathy for those affected. History tells us that things will improve, hopefully. So how are we still hiring amongst industry redundancies?
- Sheer ignorance. My simple brain tells me that if we maintain our high standards and treat clients the right way, we’ll be OK.
- Planning. This is something we did a lot of in 2025, and it continues into 2026. We’ve set our targets and how we’re going to achieve them, we’re developing people into managers, and we’re growing teams around them.
Claude
In January I went a full month without arguing with AI. Not because I stopped using it, but because I switched from using ChatGPT and Grok, over to Claude. ChatGPT and Grok are clearly great, I much prefer the latter as it doesn’t have that tendency to validate everything I say, unlike ChatGPT. But Claude is just on another level. Within an hour I was totally hooked, and paid for Pro to get access to the Opus engine. Claude is now up there with recent tech that I can’t be without, such as the noise cancelling feature on Apple’s AirPods Pro – it really is that good!
Max Pain January
At the beginning of January I started German Volume Training, and after just a few sessions my body was hurting more than Brooklyn Beckham’s reputation. A barrier I have with the gym is having to think. This sounds a bit pathetic, it’s just lifting weights, but I’m usually mentally checked out for the day by the time I get to the gym. GVT is an easy program to follow with maximum results, and it’s made getting back into training post-Christmas a lot easier.
This feels like my most productive start to the year I’ve had, we’ve achieved a lot of big things already. Month 1 of 12 has been solid, and although it’s taken a few early mornings, late nights and weekends, it’s been worth it. I even managed a trip to IKEA, visited friends, and had plenty of good food out and about, the highlight being Six by Nico. The plan for February is to catch up on a bit of sleep!
Andrew
Welcoming New Team Members
I’ve had the pleasure of starting the New Year welcoming our new developer (Nick) to the team. We spent the majority of day one getting Nick familiar with all our day to day tools and what projects we would be focused on in January. Nick has settled into the team really quickly, we have made some fantastic code together and I’m looking forward to the projects we collaborate on for 2026.
Mobile App Development
This year has been off to a great start. We are now reaching the end of development for a new mobile application and a new web application. The challenges of this project were with offline storage for the mobile app which could re-sync via an API with the web application as soon as there was an internet connection. What has come out at the end of this is something I think we can be really proud of, and I am looking forward to getting this out the door.
New Year Resolutions
Back at home, I’ve started 2026 with a few changes to my habits. I have bought a new manual coffee machine which will allow me to enjoy my lattes without the cost of buying them in coffee shops. The first couple of attempts weren’t great while I was getting used to the machine. My first coffee did not have enough espresso in the filter which made it come out weak. As I don’t have an espresso glass, I had to measure the espresso shots by eye and so my second coffee came out far too strong. I think probably half of the glass was espresso. I finally managed to make something that resembled a latte in the third and fourth attempts which then became an enjoyable drink. Once I get the hang of it, I am going to save a lot of money on coffee!
I’m also moving away from a bad habit of relying on frozen chips and veg for all my meals. While it takes longer to cook, I am getting into the habit of making roasties/chips from fresh potatoes and using fresh vegetables with my evening meals. It’s a bit more effort than just grabbing something out the freezer, but I do think it tastes nicer and it is also cheaper than frozen food. It’s probably healthier as well. Here’s hoping that these habits don’t fall off in February!
Matt
Digging Deeper
This year, one of main focuses is to progress my learning in Paid Ads and really go deep into the data to be able to get our clients and even better return on their ads.
I’ve started with having weekly meetings with Wayne and we’ve been going through all of our accounts and looking at what data, we have and then thinking how can we get more out of this. These weekly sessions have been really helpful, and I already feel like I am getting more out of our accounts.
Positive Feedback
I also got some excellent feedback from a client in our first monthly meeting of the year. Their performance in December and for January has been phenomenal! They’ve been receiving high volumes of good quality leads, and their team is ‘buzzing’ with how it’s been going. Getting this kind of feedback is always so lovely to hear and it’s nice to see that the hard work put in by everyone at Twilo is seeing rewards.
A Team That’s Growing
Starting the first week back in January, our newest team member Nick joined! It’s been really exciting to meet Nick and he’s started brightly developing a new mobile app for a client which looks really cool. I’m excited to see how it looks when it’s completed and to collaborate with Nick on future projects.
Elland Road Like I’ve Never Seen Before
I started January with a trip to Elland Road, but not for a football match this time. It was a birthday gift I had got for my dad, a stadium tour!
We had a lot of fun during this tour, and we were surprised to learn some new things about Leeds United, like how the legendary manager of the famous 70’s team hated the reputation of ‘Dirty Leeds’ so hired a marketing person to help improve their image. As a person who works in marketing, I found this very interesting and loved how what they did is now common in the modern game, such as having a song for the team to come out to and replica kits for fans to buy, all from Leeds!
It was also really exciting to see the behind the scenes of the stadium, all the media rooms, changing rooms, the trophy cabinet (which has more in than you think!) and walking out the tunnel was a dream come true, even though it was to empty seats not a packed crowd.
After the tour we went to the newly reopened The Victoria & Commercial for Sunday Lunch, I got the stunning Pork tomahawk that is pictured and it was as tasty as it looked! I’d highly recommend going there for food.
Pop Tunes On Violins
On a cold Friday night, my sister and I visited the Leeds City Museum to watch a concert by candlelight, where a string quartet played some classic pop songs. The musicians were extremely talent, and it was a lot of fun to hear songs you know being played on different instruments.
Big Laughs At The City Varieties
I went to the City Varieties to see Irish comedian Vittorio Angelone on his brand-new tour! He was absolutely hilarious and had the sold-out crowd in tears. I also bumped into him on the way out and he was nice enough to have a chat with me and I got a photo.
There & Back Again…To The Cinema
I finished off the month by seeing one of my favourite films back on the big screen for its 25th anniversary, the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition). To finally see a film, I’ve seen lots and lots on the big screen for the first time is exactly what the cinema experience is all about! Of course, the film still holds up 25 years later and is as good as the day it was released.
With awards season rolling on, since Christmas I’ve seen a whole host of nominated films. I saw the bonkers Marty Supreme, featuring an electric and career-best performance from Timothee Chalamet, which sees him on a mission to become the world champion in table tennis.
It also would be award season without some drama films, I saw the gripping family drama/black-comedy Sentimental Value, where two sisters reunite with their estranged father. Then, I saw Hamnet, the fictional telling of the family life of Shakespeare and how the loss of his son, inspired him to write Hamlet.
Building Up The Pace
It’s just three months now till I take on the London Landmarks half marathon. I’ve been doing my training for it, using a plan developed by the app, Runna. It’s been helpful in improving my stamina as well as building up the longer distances.
I can already see improvements, as I did a parkrun over the weekend and if it hadn’t been for the weather and getting stuck in the mud, I would have smashed my personal best time (I was 9 seconds off). I’ve also been running in all weathers, which is to the dismay of my dog, Enzo.
I’m running the half marathon in support of Prostate Cancer UK. The money raised will go towards lifesaving research and support for men and their families affected by prostate cancer. If you’d like to support me, you can here. Any donations are greatly appreciated.
Reece
Having some proper time off over Christmas was exactly what I needed. It was a good chance to slow things down, reset a bit, and think about what I want to focus on this year. Having that bit of time away made coming back in January feel easier, with a clearer head and a bit more energy to get going again.
January itself has been a solid mix of different projects. I’ve been working across a range of builds, from video-focused client work through to websites for autism charities. That variety has kept things interesting and made the days feel productive without being repetitive. It’s been good getting stuck into work that’s creative, and getting some really nice feedback from clients along the way has been a good boost.
I’ve also been spending time speeding up sites and pushing SEMrush scores above 92%, which is oddly satisfying. Watching the scores creep up makes it feel rewarding, especially knowing it’s the kind of behind-the-scenes work that pays off long term.
Outside of work, January hasn’t just been screens and keyboards. I’ve been getting out for regular walks, which has been a good way to clear my head and break up the days a bit. I’ve also been back watching ice hockey, going to see both the Sheffield Steelers and the Leeds Knights.
I’ve ended up watching the Knights a lot more, mainly because they’re closer, and the games are… interesting, to say the least. The Steelers play at an elite level, while the Knights are a league below, so the difference in speed and physicality is pretty obvious. Leeds games can be a bit chaotic at times, but that’s half the fun, and the atmosphere more than makes up for it.
Looking Ahead
February’s beginning to take shape, with new builds starting and ongoing projects pushing on. January’s been about finding the right rhythm and getting solid work done, which feels like a strong way to start the year.
Liam
After a great Christmas break we’ve landed back in the studio and hit the ground running at Twilo. January is usually a slow month and seems to take forever to finish, but this one might’ve been the quickest Jan in history.
New Faces
On our first day back we welcomed our newest teammate, Nick who’s already making a big impression. Nick’s joined us to help bridge the gap between front and back end, and specifically to assist with mobile app development. He’s dove straight into the deep end picking up my designs for a new mobile app we’re working on and he’s doing a fantastic job of it – I’ve particularly enjoyed watching him code on his laptop and seeing the app appearing to build itself on a tablet on his desk. Really excited to share the work we’ve been doing for this project, and to work on more projects with Nick in the future.
My First Tender
The very end of last year saw myself, Wayne and Andrew putting a lot of time and effort into a tender proposal and we started the second week in Jan by receiving an email to say we’d been shortlisted and had been invited to a second stage presentation. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be on this occasion, but the effort put in from everyone involved was incredible and the opportunity to sit with Wayne, Andrew and Tim as we presented our ideas to the client was a fantastic experience and something we can all take huge positives from.
Juggling Tasks
January’s workload has been a bit different to my previous ~7months at Twilo in that it’s been made up of lots of smaller tasks with varying deadlines and priorities. Until now I‘ve mostly had 1 or 2 big projects each month which has allowed me to plan my time easily around those jobs and leave space on certain days of the week to accommodate shorter, quicker-deadline tasks. January on the other hand has seen 4 historic websites have partial redesigns or updates, 3 new website design projects reach dev handover, 2 new website kick-off meetings, a 30min presentation and all the prep that goes with it, on top of my weekly socials, email campaigns and daily tasks that pop up from the morning meetings or emails, its been a month that’s required a lot of planning and shuffling to ensure all jobs are completed at the correct time. A fun challenge that’s been made a lot easier by the organisation standards we set at Twilo. Morning meetings, jotting daily tasks into a diary, updating our project management software, and regular check-ins with the team and our clients – a lot of time is dedicated to planning and it works!
Personal Highlights from January
Jan is always a pretty quiet month with everyone trying to financially recover from the Christmas break. Me and my wife spent a few weekends driving around trying to scope out our next home town, which basically involves finding nice coffee shops or bars. We also went to see Biffy Clyro at the coop arena a few weeks ago which was incredible. Me and my brother have been big fans since we were teens so it was great to go and experience that together – £9.60 for a pint was not so exciting.
Looking Ahead
I’m currently working on a new e-commerce site for a renewable products supplier so I’m looking forward to handing that over to the devs and seeing it come to life. I am most excited to see the new app finally launch though, this will have been my first proper mobile app so it’s going to be really fun to have a play with that once Andrew and Nick are finished.
Laura
Social, Strategy & New Starts
This month I’ve been spending time getting started with some new clients, which has been really exciting. It’s always nice to step into a new brief, think through fresh strategies, and get into the mindset of different audiences, industries and target markets. It keeps things interesting and creative in the best way.
I’ve also been looking more closely at LinkedIn and the different ways it can work for us. It’s such a powerful platform and one that’s constantly evolving, so staying on top of how it’s changing feels important, especially as it plays a bigger role in how businesses communicate and grow.
There’s also been loads going on across the wider team, and a big part of my role is making sure I’m across all of it. Chatting to everyone, hearing their insights, wins and ideas, and then turning those into interesting, bite-sized content for our followers is something I really enjoy. There’s always more happening behind the scenes than people realise, and it’s great to be able to share that story.
Life Outside Work
Outside of work, it’s been a busy but really nice month. We had an impromptu little weekend ‘away’ which actually involved staying in a hotel about 20 minutes from home, but it felt like a proper break. The kids loved sleeping in a hotel, spending time in the pool, and generally being somewhere new.
We also squeezed in sushi, a cinema trip, and lots of relaxed family time, which was a lovely way to reset after the chaos of Christmas. Sometimes those small, unplanned breaks end up being the best ones!
Nick
Settling Back Into Work
At the end of 2024 the company I worked for in NZ was acquired, and what was originally intended to be a summer holiday in the UK to see friends turned into me moving here full-time.
I’ve been living in York for the last year, taking a much-needed break after a stressful last few years, but I’m enjoying being back at work here at Twilo. I’ve enjoyed having a solid project to work on, and I think I’ve been able to hit the ground running. Everyone has been super friendly and has made the transition easy for me.
My First Year in the UK
Over the last year I’ve mostly stayed local, getting to know York. I’ve done a ghost tour, done the Cat Trail and been to 20 of the 116 pubs inside the city walls. In October I took a solo trip down to London to see the band Tennis on their farewell tour, then came to Leeds for the first time in November to see the band Tops.
I took a trip up to Edinburgh earlier in the year and took some side trips along the way to check out some abandoned medieval villages and old roman forts… which is all very interesting to a Kiwi, since we don’t have anything anywhere near as old where I’m from.
Looking Forward to a Busy 2026
This year I’ve got plans to go to Wales, see more of England, see my parents during their trip through the UK, see some more bands, get my pub numbers up, and continue contributing to Twilo. Here’s looking forward to a great 2026.