When Twilio was starting in 2008, the founders met their friend and advisor Jeffrey McManus, who shared his expertise on developer platforms and evangelism. They were initially met with skepticism, but Jeffrey's guidance helped them build a strong foundation for their business. He advised them to focus on creating high-quality documentation and content, ignoring naysayers, and understanding that APIs are not the product, but rather a means of delivering it. His wisdom had a significant impact on Twilio's growth and development, and his influence can be seen in the entire industry of developer-focused companies.