Developer Marketing Does Not Exist  ## Metadata - Author: [[Adam DuVander]] | [[3. Resources/Authors/Adam DuVander|Adam DuVander]] - Full Title: Developer Marketing Does Not Exist - Category: #books - Kindle: [Open in Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091NK954H) - Document Tags: [[DevRel]] ## Document Notes ## Highlights - reframing toward education will help you find the mindset to attract a technical audience. ([Location 118](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=118)) - Your product announcements will become much more impactful when you’re sharing knowledge, not features. ([Location 132](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=132)) - If you buy into the educational approach of “developer marketing,” then the developer experience you provide is foundational. ([Location 220](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=220)) - A great method to reach more developers is through problem-focused content, using search engines to help developers find you. ([Location 255](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=255)) - You would be surprised how difficult it is to find documentation within a company’s navigation. Even when developers are a core audience, the link sometimes hides behind a dropdown or, worse, a euphemism like “partners.” I like to play a game I call “find the API” where I see how quickly I can make my way from the home page to the portal. ([Location 282](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=282)) - Avoid These Common Getting Started Mistakes ([Location 310](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=310)) - Don’t put your product first. ([Location 311](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=311)) - Don’t include a bunch of concepts. ([Location 314](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=314)) - Don’t cover everything. ([Location 317](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=317)) - Don’t have multiple getting started guides. ([Location 320](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=320)) - Don’t go too long. ([Location 323](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=323)) - Time to Hello World is an incredibly important part of developer experience. ([Location 341](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=341)) - Sample applications are a great way to both communicate a use case and give a developer a quick win to get them to first success. ([Location 372](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=372)) - A great sample application will include: Full code needed to run the app Walkthrough tutorial explaining how it works GitHub repository that includes code and basic documentation Working demo to show how it looks when complete (optional) One click installation in cloud hosting, like with a Heroku button (optional) Case study of a customer who successfully runs something similar (optional) Interactive code explorer to pull in tutorial content while viewing the code (optional) ([Location 376](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=376)) - Not only will that help the company by limiting churn, but it also increases the chance that these developers will sing your praises to their developer friends. ([Location 397](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=397)) - For a REST API reference to be complete, it must include: Every endpoint and HTTP method combination Field names and types sent with each request Field names and types returned with each response Example request and response objects Potential and expected HTTP status codes Field names and types sent with error codes Error messages and their human-understandable meanings ([Location 402](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=402)) - The SDK becomes the true interface for a developer, which helps them build faster. ([Location 420](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=420)) - Developers should be able to see that humans are behind your product. ([Location 428](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=428)) - You want your developer experience to improve every interaction a developer has with your company, from the first impression to the most recent API call or visit to your site. ([Location 442](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=442)) - DX Index, a rating system for developer documentation and websites. ([Location 446](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=446)) - Language-specific libraries help at every stage of the developer journey: they see, upon first impression, that you speak their language; they are more likely to get started faster because the library can be easily imported into their tools; you can provide sample apps built atop the libraries to help them reach first success; and when you update SDKs alongside the APIs, it provides a great ongoing developer experience. ([Location 453](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=453)) - Your getting started guide provides just enough information to give an initial taste of your product. ([Location 459](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=459)) - Provide what’s needed to get a developer to Hello World, so they can clearly see (and understand) the next step. ([Location 461](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=461)) - Provide a self-serve option, in whatever way you can, so that developers get a chance to check out your product for themselves without first having a conversation. ([Location 467](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=467)) - a developer needs to understand the pricing structure before moving forward, ([Location 474](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=474)) - ensures that a developer gets a chance to try your product without paying anything. ([Location 477](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=477)) - Make sure your contact page feels reliable (is that a black hole, or do they actually respond?) and include pictures of your team, if possible. Give developers the feeling that, when they do have a question, it will receive an answer. ([Location 484](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=484)) - if something is wrong, a developer wants to know the truth. ([Location 492](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=492)) - One of the major violations of trust is an inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated API reference. ([Location 495](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=495)) - The samples you make available—and their supporting tutorials and other documentation—enable developers to work much faster. ([Location 501](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=501)) - In giving a developer product the sniff test, a blog shows where a company is focused. ([Location 505](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=505)) - do you prominently link to your portal or documentation from within your site navigation? ([Location 517](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=517)) - In addition to cURL examples, you could include copy-paste API key or other tokens. For some, a dedicated command line interface (CLI) is another way to improve the experience on a developer’s local machine. ([Location 524](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=524)) - Do they work for big companies or startups? What programming language do they primarily use? Are they early in their career or just starting out? What’s their team structure like and what’s their role? What are some of the common titles they have? What departments do they support with their code? ([Location 569](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=569)) - Start with where you’ll publish your technical posts. Ideally, these are on your company blog aimed at a developer audience. ([Location 610](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=610)) - Determine a cadence Constrain your focus Create a calendar Choose initial topics Share your calendar Stick to the calendar ([Location 617](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=617)) - Tutorial: Walk through a specific problem and solution Vision: Share your technical thought leadership Best practices: Educate developers with practical tips Interview: Ask relevant questions of a developer influencer Comparison: Explain the pros and cons of two or more choices How we work: A technical look inside your organization Roundup: List of related technical choices with your analysis ([Location 635](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=635)) - Managing editor: Handles day-to-day operations and article topics Section editor: Seeks contributions of specific content types or subjects Copy editor: Reviews contributions for structure and typos Similarly, there are different types of contributors to consider: Staff writers: Employees who contribute to the publication as part of their job Freelance writers: Contractors who pitch topics and write them as-needed Columnists: Internal or external contributors who bring a specific point of view ([Location 678](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=678)) - Here is the tutorial structure in four elements: Explain the context Show the end result Walk through the steps Help them take the next step ([Location 754](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=754)) - Instructor on camera Audio of instructor Presentation slides Screencast of results Screencast of code ([Location 834](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=834)) - you want to teach more than promote. ([Location 909](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=909)) - Daily email course Short explainers on YouTube Monthly webinars on different concepts Conference talks by engineers Half-day workshops Distribute on course platforms Break the guide into LinkedIn posts ([Location 993](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=993)) - included puzzles or similar contests of skill. Developers love to tinker with problems and figure out how things work. If you can inspire them to grapple, you’re more likely to make a lasting impact. Sure, entice them with a prize, but it’s secondary to the experience. ([Location 1056](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1056)) - long-lasting relationship. That’s the approach that works with developers, especially within open source. ([Location 1173](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1173)) - Don’t require a sign up Do one thing well Make it free ([Location 1338](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1338)) - Enter into Long-Term Partnerships, Not Quick Growth Tactics ([Location 1415](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1415)) - places you might consider for sponsorship: Independent developer tools Blogs covering specific technologies Email newsletters on relevant topics Individual developer influencers Events with a technical audience Podcasts that discuss developer subjects Popular developer YouTube channels Anyone with authentic access to the right developers ([Location 1454](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1454)) - Here’s a sampling of what is required to build a developer audience: Discover a topic developers care about Express the topic in a way that attracts attention Expand your own understanding of the topic Continue to find new ways to make the topic interesting ([Location 1527](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1527)) - That means your team should be good at identifying problems, solving them, and then sharing them with others. You want to be able to identify internal issues—such as how to get the data needed for analysis—but you primarily will be focused on the problems your developers experience. ([Location 1602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1602)) - listening will help you solve the right problems that attract attention. Knowing the developer point of view lets you find where it crosses over with your company’s opinions, which will allow you to tell the stories you need to grow your community. ([Location 1610](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1610)) - The purpose of marketing is to appeal to developers, not to appease internal teams. It does no good to tout your product’s features if it does not resonate—empathetically—with the right developers. ([Location 1618](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1618)) - Developer Evangelist Developer Advocate Community Manager Developer Relations Director ([Location 1648](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1648)) - Many more roles overlap with developer marketing needs. While unlikely to be part of a marketing organization, these will surely be important collaborators: API Product Manager Customer Support Technical Account Managers Sales Engineers Solutions Engineers Customer Success ([Location 1690](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1690)) - Developer relations and documentation should not be expected to directly convert users. ([Location 1726](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1726)) - Developer marketing does not exist because you can't bring your typical tactics to this skeptical audience. If you use regular marketing with developers, it will fall flat. At best, you'll be ignored. At worst, developers will ridicule your company. You want every message to resonate. Even product announcements should feel developer-focused, not you-focused. To achieve this, in all that you do: share knowledge, not features. ([Location 1754](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1754)) - Visit everydeveloper.com/library ([Location 1813](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B091NK954H&location=1813)) ## Related - [[3. Resources/Readwise/Articles/How to Choose Developer Events|How to Choose Developer Events]] - [[3. Resources/Readwise/Articles/How to Measure Developer Experience|How to Measure Developer Experience]] - [[3. Resources/Readwise/Articles/The 15 Content Marketing Channels to Reach Your Developer Audience|The 15 Content Marketing Channels to Reach Your Developer Audience]] - [[3. Resources/Readwise/Articles/Why Developers Are Unresponsive to Traditional Marketing|Why Developers Are Unresponsive to Traditional Marketing]] ## Book Review - [[4. Archives/Book reviews/Developer Marketing Does Not Exist|Developer Marketing Does Not Exist - Book Review]]