DevRel for Black Developers and Why It's Slightly Different  [[3. Resources/Readwise/Full Document Contents/Articles/DevRel for Black Developers and Why It's Slightly Different|Full Document Contents]] ## Document Notes ## Highlights - Chapter 1 - Chapter Targeting Black Developers in DevRel •DevRel activities should consider what it means to target black developers authentically. •Black developers have a unique experience that others may not understand, and its important to connect with them in a genuine way. •Visibility is crucial for black developers, as many may not see it as a viable career option. •Personal connections, such as those made at boot camps or events, can have a significant impact on black developers career potential and visibility. •Its essential to acknowledge and understand the differences in how individuals experience certain environments based on their race and identity.Chapter: Connecting with Black Developers Chapter 2 - - When trying to connect with black developers, its important to have a clear goal in mind, whether its building relationships or selling a product. •Black developers may not be as visible in certain spaces, such as conferences, so its important to seek out where they are and connect with them there. •Factors such as job loss, economic status, and comfort level can all play a role in how receptive black developers may be to outreach efforts. •Relatability and comfort are important factors in building connections with black developers, as they may be more likely to engage with those who share similar experiences and backgrounds. Prejudging is a human tendency, but its important to be aware of and work on.Chapter 7: Navigating Diversityations •Diversity conversations can be uncomfortable, but it depends on the person approaching the conversation and their intentions. •Some people have bad energy and give off bad vibes, and its important to stay away from them when having diversity conversations. •Its important to have diversity conversations and be open and honest about it, as it can lead to learning opportunities and growth. •However, not everyone has the same intentions as you do, so its important to be careful and discerning when having diversity conversations. •Navigating diversity conversations requires empathy, listening, and understanding different perspectives. Its important to acknowledge biases and work towards doing things differently because of them. •When doing devrel in different countries, its important to spend time listening to the experiences and perspectives of the developers who are already there, and work together to find ways to connect the dots authentically. •Safety and security should always come first, and its okay to make decisions for yourself if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe in a certain situation. As a leader in devrel, its important to proactively acknowledge this and support your team members in making these decisions.Chapter 1: Career Conversations and Diversity Chapter 3 - - The speaker had an idea of doing career chats with random people, especially beginners in their career, and had received messages asking for advice. •They asked for feedback on Twitter about doing a series of 15-minute career conversation streams targeted at diversity, but received mixed feedback about making it explicitly about diversity or just including diversity. •The speaker reflects on their intentions and the importance of not making it about themselves, but about helping underrepresented groups get into tech and connecting them with resources and networking opportunities. •They mention the downside of people focusing more on their identity rather than the substance of their roles, but also acknowledge the importance of having conversations about diversity and spreading awareness. •The speaker talks about the burden that can come with being the only person of a certain identity in a company and feeling like they have to be the voice of diversity. •They mention the importance of having a relationship with someone before having conversations about diversity and acknowledging their privileges and boundaries. •The speaker talks about their own experiences with burnout and how they are trying to stay engaged with the community while also taking care of themselves. •They mention the potential of organizing a meetup or conference in Memphis and the challenges of organizing such an event.Chapter 1: The Importance of Community in Diversity and Inclusion Efforts •People self-select into communities that look, feel, smell, and sound like them, according to a Sociology class the speaker took years ago. •If someone doesnt have a community that fits those boxes for them, they may never pursue an opportunity. •For a long time, it was assumed that people shouldnt pursue opportunities if they didnt see people who looked like them in those spaces. •Finding a community that fits ones identity is important for success, growth, and exposure to opportunities that one may not have dreamed were possible. •The speaker believes that tech can help move the needle for underrepresented groups in finding success and growing their careers. •The representation of black people in tech is still largely in the single digits, which is ridiculous given the population of the world. •People need to be reminded that racism is a man-made construct, and not everyone is teaching this. •The speaker loves communities or groups that bring inclusivity into tech. •People need to be taught racism in the same way that they need to be reminded that it is a man-made construct. •The speaker believes that diversity efforts should never stop, and that one must keep doing the work to make progress. •The speaker spends a lot of time sourcing diverse candidates behind the scenes and connecting with organizations that focus on diversity and inclusion. •DevRel professionals recruit other people in DevRel, and they have to be careful not to just have a bunch of folks from a specific group standing on stage representing their product, platform, customers, and developer community. •The speaker clarifies that diversity efforts are not about lowering the bar, but about providing access to opportunities and exposure to underrepresented groups.Chapter 1: Building Your Brand Chapter 4 - - Building your brand is important for your career, not just when you need it, but for when you may need it in the future. •Having a strong brand can lead to opportunities, such as job offers or networking connections. •Tokenism is not the way to hire diverse candidates. Instead, companies should focus on building relationships and creating a safe space for diverse candidates to ask questions and feel comfortable during the interview process. •Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were created due to the lack of access to education for black people. Investing in HBCUs and other black collegiate and professional organizations can help create pipelines for diverse talent in STEM fields. •Researching companies and colleges before applying can help ensure that they align with your values and provide a safe and inclusive environment.Chapter 1: Introduction to the Streamers Plans •The streamer thanks everyone for participating and expresses how special it is to them. •They mention that they were supposed to start streaming last week but had unexpected layoffs and had to be a classroom parent for their sons classroom. •The streamer plans to start streaming next week and will be talking about all things .net or developer related, not just black things. •They express excitement about their upcoming streams and have been doing a lot of work to prepare for it. •The streamer mentions that Reset API key ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gw2byf2q7w52zwmxx4cy4q3n)) - Chapter 1 - Chapter Targeting Black Developers in DevRel •DevRel activities should consider what it means to target black developers authentically. •Black developers have a unique experience that others may not understand, and its important to connect with them in a genuine way. •Visibility is crucial for black developers, as many may not see it as a viable career option. •Personal connections, such as those made at boot camps or events, can have a significant impact on black developers career potential and visibility. •Its essential to acknowledge and understand the differences in how individuals experience certain environments based on their race and identity.Chapter: Connecting with Black Developers Chapter 2 - - When trying to connect with black developers, its important to have a clear goal in mind, whether its building relationships or selling a product. •Black developers may not be as visible in certain spaces, such as conferences, so its important to seek out where they are and connect with them there. •Factors such as job loss, economic status, and comfort level can all play a role in how receptive black developers may be to outreach efforts. •Relatability and comfort are important factors in building connections with black developers, as they may be more likely to engage with those who share similar experiences and backgrounds. Prejudging is a human tendency, but its important to be aware of and work on.Chapter 7: Navigating Diversityations •Diversity conversations can be uncomfortable, but it depends on the person approaching the conversation and their intentions. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gw2byhwyvm8b8pm9kd9jyw9z)) - Chapter 1 - Chapter Targeting Black Developers in DevRel •DevRel activities should consider what it means to target black developers authentically. •Black developers have a unique experience that others may not understand, and its important to connect with them in a genuine way. •Visibility is crucial for black developers, as many may not see it as a viable career option. •Personal connections, such as those made at boot camps or events, can have a significant impact on black developers career potential and visibility. •Its essential to acknowledge and understand the differences in how individuals experience certain environments based on their race and identity.Chapter: Connecting with Black Developers Chapter 2 - - When trying to connect with black developers, its important to have a clear goal in mind, whether its building relationships or selling a product. •Black developers may not be as visible in certain spaces, such as conferences, so its important to seek out where they are and connect with them there. •Factors such as job loss, economic status, and comfort level can all play a role in how receptive black developers may be to outreach efforts. •Relatability and comfort are important factors in building connections with black developers, as they may be more likely to engage with those who share similar experiences and backgrounds. Prejudging is a human tendency, but its important to be aware of and work on.Chapter 7: Navigating Diversityations •Diversity conversations can be uncomfortable, but it depends on the person approaching the conversation and their intentions. •Some people have bad energy and give off bad vibes, and its important to stay away from them when having diversity conversations. •Its important to have diversity conversations and be open and honest about it, as it can lead to learning opportunities and growth. •However, not everyone has the same intentions as you do, so its important to be careful and discerning when having diversity conversations. •Navigating diversity conversations requires empathy, listening, and understanding different perspectives. Its important to acknowledge biases and work towards doing things differently because of them. •When doing devrel in different countries, its important to spend time listening to the experiences and perspectives of the developers who are already there, and work together to find ways to connect the dots authentically. •Safety and security should always come first, and its okay to make decisions for yourself if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe in a certain situation. As a leader in devrel, its important to proactively acknowledge this and support your team members in making these decisions.Chapter 1: Career Conversations and Diversity Chapter 3 - - The speaker had an idea of doing career chats with random people, especially beginners in their career, and had received messages asking for advice. •They asked for feedback on Twitter about doing a series of 15-minute career conversation streams targeted at diversity, but received mixed feedback about making it explicitly about diversity or just including diversity. •The speaker reflects on their intentions and the importance of not making it about themselves, but about helping underrepresented groups get into tech and connecting them with resources and networking opportunities. •They mention the downside of people focusing more on their identity rather than the substance of their roles, but also acknowledge the importance of having conversations about diversity and spreading awareness. •The speaker talks about the burden that can come with being the only person of a certain identity in a company and feeling like they have to be the voice of diversity. •They mention the importance of having a relationship with someone before having conversations about diversity and acknowledging their privileges and boundaries. •The speaker talks about their own experiences with burnout and how they are trying to stay engaged with the community while also taking care of themselves. •They mention the potential of organizing a meetup or conference in Memphis and the challenges of organizing such an event.Chapter 1: The Importance of Community in Diversity and Inclusion Efforts •People self-select into communities that look, feel, smell, and sound like them, according to a Sociology class the speaker took years ago. •If someone doesnt have a community that fits those boxes for them, they may never pursue an opportunity. •For a long time, it was assumed that people shouldnt pursue opportunities if they didnt see people who looked like them in those spaces. •Finding a community that fits ones identity is important for success, growth, and exposure to opportunities that one may not have dreamed were possible. •The speaker believes that tech can help move the needle for underrepresented groups in finding success and growing their careers. •The representation of black people in tech is still largely in the single digits, which is ridiculous given the population of the world. •People need to be reminded that racism is a man-made construct, and not everyone is teaching this. •The speaker loves communities or groups that bring inclusivity into tech. •People need to be taught racism in the same way that they need to be reminded that it is a man-made construct. •The speaker believes that diversity efforts should never stop, and that one must keep doing the work to make progress. •The speaker spends a lot of time sourcing diverse candidates behind the scenes and connecting with organizations that focus on diversity and inclusion. •DevRel professionals recruit other people in DevRel, and they have to be careful not to just have a bunch of folks from a specific group standing on stage representing their product, platform, customers, and developer community. •The speaker clarifies that diversity efforts are not about lowering the bar, but about providing access to opportunities and exposure to underrepresented groups.Chapter 1: Building Your Brand Chapter 4 - - Building your brand is important for your career, not just when you need it, but for when you may need it in the future. •Having a strong brand can lead to opportunities, such as job offers or networking connections. •Tokenism is not the way to hire diverse candidates. Instead, companies should focus on building relationships and creating a safe space for diverse candidates to ask questions and feel comfortable during the interview process. •Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were created due to the lack of access to education for black people. Investing in HBCUs and other black collegiate and professional organizations can help create pipelines for diverse talent in STEM fields. •Researching companies and colleges before applying can help ensure that they align with your values and provide a safe and inclusive environment.Chapter 1: Introduction to the Streamers Plans •The streamer thanks everyone for participating and expresses how special it is to them. •They mention that they were supposed to start streaming last week but had unexpected layoffs and had to be a classroom parent for their sons classroom. •The streamer plans to start streaming next week and will be talking about all things .net or developer related, not just black things. •They express excitement about their upcoming streams and have been doing a lot of work to prepare for it. •The streamer mentions that fix their microphone and thanks everyone for their feedback. •They express gratitude towards Brandon for having confidence in them and mention that someone has to have confidence in them these days. •The streamer confirms Chrissys identity from and thanks them for being there and raising questions. •They mention that they need to join the Discord and will be raiding people over to Jens Channel on Twitch. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gw2bynpnv9epv5bnj5q43rbc))