Getting into the tech space, you might have come across the term DevRel or Developer Advocacy and you are wondering what it is about and how it concerns you. It is a field that is rapidly growing in popularity, but many people are still unsure of what it entails. In this post, we will explore the world of DevRel and provide a beginner’s guide to help you navigate this exciting field.
What is DevRel?
DevRel is a term that is short for Developer Relations. The word DevRel is also used interchangeably with the word Developer Advocacy, they both imply the same thing. At its core, it is all about building relationships between developers and the rest of the world.
It's a broad term that encompasses the strategies and activities used to build and maintain positive relationships between an organization and the developers who use its products, services, or technologies.
A simple example is a chef who has just opened a new restaurant. You have spent months perfecting your recipes and creating a menu that you are proud of. However, you are struggling to get customers to come to your restaurant. This is where DevRel comes in. A DevRel professional would help you build relationships with food bloggers, influencers, and other people in the food industry to help promote your restaurant and get more customers through the door.
This field is focused on helping developers succeed by providing them with the resources and support they need to build great products and also providing the right amount of value for the company they are advocating for.
Types of DevRel
The Developer Relations umbrella covers these major aspects, many developer advocates tend to do a blend of all 3 but they specialize in one or two of these aspects. These three aspects are:
Developer Tools:
This focuses more on the product side of things. It's about making the product easier to use or implement for the developer using it. It involves documentation, CLIs, API, Open-source repos, etc. This is all about improving the overall developer experience.
Education:
These covers spreading awareness about the product. It can be done through a blog post, the creation of guides and tutorials, videos, twitter threads, speaking about the product at conferences, etc.
Community:
This is centered around building and managing the developer community of the product. This involves organizing events, answering questions, building an inclusive community, etc. This community can be on Slack, Discord, or any other communication platform.
Role of a Developer Advocate
The role of Developer Relations is to bridge the gap between developers and the product or company. Developers are often seen as being isolated and difficult to work with. DevRel professionals help to add a human touch to tech by building relationships with developers and helping them to succeed.
For example, a developer who is working on a new project, struggling to get your code to work and feeling frustrated. A DevRel professional helps out by providing the developer with the resources and support needed to get the code working.
DevRel requires a combination of skills such as communication, empathy, and technical knowledge. A DevRel professional should be able to communicate effectively with developers and other stakeholders. They should also be able to empathize with developers and understand their needs. Also, they should have a good understanding of the technical aspects of the products they are working with. DevRel is a very versatile role, a developer advocate should be able to work with developers, product managers, marketing teams, and other stakeholders to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.
Conclusion
DevRel is an exciting and rapidly growing field that is focused on building relationships between developers and the product. If you're someone who loves tech but also enjoys communicating with others about what they know, DevRel might just be your calling. It's a field where you get to be both the innovator and the storyteller.