My Fall 2025 with TextNow
Working at TextNow has been nothing short of incredible. This report covers my 4-month co-op term as a Software Developer, where I led 20+ projects, built 200+ n8n workflows, and delivered automation solutions that transformed how teams work.
Introduction
Before TextNow, I understood programming but had limited experience with automation and workflow orchestration. This co-op term completely changed how I think about connecting systems and automating processes. Building 200+ n8n workflows and seeing how our automation solutions eliminated hundreds of hours of manual work—that's when it clicked for me. We weren't just writing code; we were building the infrastructure that makes entire teams more efficient and productive.
About the Employer
Organization Overview
- • Telecommunications company serving millions of users globally
- • Focus on automation, workflow orchestration, and data pipeline development
- • Commitment to technology-driven operational efficiency
Computing Science Relevance
TextNow's tech environment is exactly what you'd expect from a modern tech company - workflow automation, data pipeline development, API integrations, and building scalable automation solutions. It's the perfect place to use what you learn in computer science classes on real problems that affect thousands of users and streamline operations.
Learning Goals & Outcomes
Help Team Members Become More Involved
Lead projects/features each sprint, pair for code reviews, and offer support after stand-ups
"Taking the lead on features felt uncomfortable at first, but after pairing with the team to review and refactor code, I realized I enjoy explaining my decisions and design choices. Next time, I'll try to sketch an outline of the feature in advance so I'm even more prepared."
Be More Confident Explaining Technical Ideas
Practice explaining projects out loud and give tech talks to team developers
"Recording my demo was ego-crushing at first; however, hearing my own voice helped a lot. I noticed I say 'um' a lot when I'm not sure of the next step. After practicing a few times, I could explain our code structure without pausing."
Tackle Tricky Bugs with Multiple Solutions
List three possible causes before coding and practice with LeetCode problems
"I tried brainstorming three solutions before coding a recent pagination bug. It felt slower at first, but I avoided a dead-end fix I would've wasted time on. Solving LeetCode problems helped me structure my thoughts. Next, I want to challenge myself with dynamic programming."
Master Workflow Automation & APIs
Build complex n8n workflows, integrate with 20+ external APIs, and document automation processes
"Building my first complex n8n workflow with multiple API integrations was challenging, but once I understood the flow patterns, I could automate entire processes. Integrating with 20+ external APIs taught me how to handle different authentication methods and error handling. Next, I want to explore more advanced workflow orchestration patterns."
Build Stronger Collaboration Habits
Leave constructive code review comments, practice active listening, and offer help to teammates
"Leaving thoughtful comments in code reviews forced me to slow down and really read the code, not just skim. Next, I want to focus on recognizing when I should step back and let someone else lead, not just jump in to 'help' right away."
Work Experience
During my co-op term at TextNow, I led 20+ projects and built 200+ n8n workflows that automated critical business processes, integrated with 20+ external APIs, and delivered significant cost savings while improving operational efficiency across multiple teams.
What I Built
Customer Support Copilot
Partnered with our Customer Care team to develop and deploy our Customer Support Copilot leveraging n8n + pgvector — Delivering more than $15,000 in annual cost savings by automating support workflows and improving response times.
Automation Infrastructure & Workflows
Built 200+ n8n workflows automating processes across multiple departments, integrating with 20+ external APIs including Salesforce, Slack, Jira, and various data services. These workflows eliminated hundreds of hours of manual work and improved data consistency across systems.
Auto Documentation Systems
Developed automated documentation systems that generate and maintain technical documentation, reducing manual documentation overhead and ensuring documentation stays up-to-date with code changes.
Snowflake Data Pipelines & Flows
Designed and implemented Snowflake data pipelines and flows, enabling real-time data synchronization and analytics. These pipelines processed thousands of records and provided critical business intelligence to stakeholders.
MCP Servers & TestRail Automation
Built MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for enhanced AI integration and automated TestRail workflows, streamlining the testing process and improving test coverage tracking.
Project Leadership & Technical Stack
Led 20+ projects from conception to deployment, working with technologies including n8n, Python, PostgreSQL, and integrating with 20+ external APIs. Each project focused on solving real business problems and improving team productivity.
Reflections & Conclusions
Working at TextNow taught me that automation and workflow orchestration are fundamental to modern software development. When you're building systems that connect 20+ different APIs and process thousands of records, there's no room for brittle integrations. I learned how to build robust, scalable workflows that can handle failures gracefully and recover automatically.
The biggest thing I learned was how to think in terms of workflows and data flows. Building 200+ n8n workflows taught me to see the bigger picture - how different systems connect, where data bottlenecks occur, and how to design automation that makes entire teams more productive. Now I'm comfortable designing complex integrations and automation solutions from scratch.
This job completely changed how I think about system integration and automation. When we learned about APIs and databases in school, it felt pretty abstract. Now when I'm designing a workflow that connects multiple systems or optimizing a data pipeline, I actually understand why those concepts matter and how they work together in practice.
Working in automation and integration got me really interested in how modern companies connect their systems and automate their operations. Building workflows that process thousands of records and integrate with 20+ external APIs has prepared me for the kind of complex, integration-heavy projects I want to work on after graduation. I'm particularly excited about the intersection of AI and automation, especially after building the Customer Support Copilot with pgvector.
Acknowledgments
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the entire TextNow automation and integration team for their mentorship, collaboration, and trust in my abilities. The opportunity to lead 20+ projects and build 200+ workflows while taking on increasingly complex automation challenges has been instrumental in my professional development.
Special thanks to my supervisors and everyone we teamed up with for their patience and support with each project. I'm also grateful to the University of Guelph Co-op program for facilitating this exceptional opportunity that has shaped both my technical skills and professional trajectory.
Thank you to the entire TextNow team for your support and guidance throughout this co-op term.