why the name "twig"?

Every product name has a story. Some are clever acronyms. Some are portmanteaus. Ours started with a hedgehog.

the posthog connection

PostHog is named after a hedgehog because of Jim Collins' "Hedgehog Concept" - the idea that great companies focus on one thing they can be the best at. Our hedgehog mascot, Max, has become weirdly beloved.

When we started building an agentic code editor, we wanted a name that felt connected to PostHog but stood on its own. Something that evoked the same spirit - small, natural, unexpectedly powerful.

what hedgehogs build with

Hedgehogs build nests. And what do they use? Twigs, leaves, grass - small pieces assembled into something greater. That's exactly what developers do with code. Small functions, components, modules - twigs that become a product.

There's also something about the word "twig" that feels right. It's short, memorable, and a little unexpected for a dev tool. It doesn't take itself too seriously.

the other meanings

In British slang, "twig" means to suddenly understand something - as in "I finally twigged what was going on." We liked that too. An agentic editor that helps you understand your users, that makes connections you might have missed.

And there's a branching metaphor in there if you squint. Git branches. Twigs branching from a tree. Decision trees. The ways code grows and diverges.

honestly though

The real reason? Most good names are taken. We wanted something short, easy to type, and available as a domain. "Twig" checked all the boxes and didn't make us cringe. In the world of startup naming, that's a win.

Plus it sounds good when you say "just twig it" - which we hope becomes a thing.

• the twig team