Startup developer relations, or DevRel, is the practice of building and nurturing a community of developers around your product. It is a crucial growth engine for startups that rely on developers as key customers or partners, as it fosters adoption, feedback, and advocacy.
As an entrepreneur and angel investor, I’ve seen firsthand how a strong developer relations strategy can be a real shift for early-stage companies. It’s not just about marketing to developers; it’s about building authentic relationships and creating a virtuous cycle of feedback and growth. In today's competitive world, especially for API-first or open-source startups, a thriving developer community is a powerful moat.
1. Understanding the Core Pillars of DevRel
Developer relations is a multifaceted discipline that goes beyond just writing documentation. It encompasses a wide range of activities, all aimed at making developers successful with your product.
Developer Marketing
This is the top-of-funnel part of DevRel, where you focus on making developers aware of your product. This can involve creating high-quality content like blog posts, tutorials, and videos, as well as engaging with developers on social media and online forums. The goal is to meet developers where they are and provide them with valuable information that helps them solve their problems.
Developer Education
Once you’ve captured a developer’s attention, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to get started with your product. This is where developer education comes in. It involves creating clear, concise, and comprehensive documentation, as well as interactive tutorials and sample projects. A great example of this is Stripe’s documentation, which is widely regarded as the gold standard in the industry.
Developer Experience
Developer experience, or DX, is all about making your product a joy to use. This includes everything from the design of your API to the quality of your SDKs. A great developer experience can be a major competitive advantage, as it can lead to increased adoption and retention. A company that excels at this is Vercel, with its seamless deployment experience for frontend developers.
Developer Community
Finally, a strong developer community can be a powerful asset for any startup. It can provide a sense of belonging for your users, as well as a valuable source of feedback and support. Building a community takes time and effort, but it can pay off in the long run. This can involve creating a forum or Discord server, as well as hosting events and meetups.
Pro Tip: Don't just focus on one aspect of DevRel. A successful strategy requires a holistic approach that addresses all four pillars.
2. Building Your DevRel Team
As an early-stage startup, you may not have the resources to hire a large DevRel team. However, it’s important to have at least one person who is dedicated to developer relations. This person should be a strong communicator, a skilled technologist, and a passionate advocate for your product.
The First Hire
Your first DevRel hire should be a generalist who is comfortable with a wide range of tasks, from writing blog posts to speaking at conferences. They should also be a good listener who is able to gather feedback from the community and relay it to the product team. As you grow, you can hire more specialized roles, such as developer advocates, technical writers, and community managers.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Developer relations is not a siloed function. It requires close collaboration with other teams, including product, engineering, and marketing. For example, the DevRel team can provide valuable feedback to the product team on how to improve the developer experience, while the marketing team can help promote DevRel content to a wider audience.
3. Measuring the ROI of DevRel
One of the biggest challenges in developer relations is measuring its return on investment. Unlike traditional marketing, the impact of DevRel can be difficult to quantify. However, there are a number of metrics you can track to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts.
Key Metrics to Track
- API Calls: The number of API calls is a good indicator of product usage.
- SDK Downloads: The number of SDK downloads can show how many developers are building on your platform.
- Documentation Page Views: High page views on your documentation can indicate that developers are actively using your product.
- Community Engagement: This can be measured by the number of active users in your forum or Discord server, as well as the number of contributions to your open-source projects.
Pro Tip: Don't get too caught up in vanity metrics. Focus on the metrics that are most closely tied to your business goals.
4. Getting Started with DevRel: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you have a better understanding of what developer relations is and why it’s important, here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started:
- Define Your Goals: What do you want to achieve with your DevRel program? Do you want to increase product adoption, gather feedback, or build a community? Once you know your goals, you can tailor your strategy accordingly.
- Identify Your Target Audience: Who are the developers you want to reach? What are their needs and pain points? The more you know about your target audience, the better you’ll be able to create content and programs that resonate with them.
- Create High-Quality Content: Content is the cornerstone of any DevRel strategy. Start by creating a blog and writing tutorials that show developers how to use your product. You can also create videos, host webinars, and speak at conferences.
- Engage with the Community: Don’t just create content and hope that developers will find it. You need to actively engage with the community on social media, online forums, and at events. This will help you build relationships and get your content in front of a wider audience.
- Listen to Feedback: One of the most important aspects of DevRel is listening to feedback from the community. This feedback can be invaluable for improving your product and building a better developer experience.
5. The Future of DevRel
Developer relations is a rapidly evolving field. As the importance of developers continues to grow, so too will the importance of DevRel. In the future, I believe we’ll see more startups investing in developer relations from day one. We’ll also see more sophisticated tools and platforms for managing and measuring DevRel programs.
For more insights on building a successful startup, you can read my articles on how to find a co-founder and how to create a great pitch deck.
In conclusion, developer relations is an essential function for any startup that wants to win the hearts and minds of developers. By building a strong DevRel program, you can create a virtuous cycle of growth that will help you succeed in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.
How has this view evolved over time?
My thinking on most topics has changed significantly over the years. Early in my career, I held many conventional views that experience proved wrong. I try to update my beliefs when the evidence changes.
How can I apply this thinking to my own situation?
Start by identifying the core principle behind the opinion, not the specific example. Then ask yourself: does this principle apply to my context? If yes, test it in a small, low-risk way before going all in.
What experience informs this perspective?
This perspective comes from over a decade of building companies in Silicon Valley, two successful exits (RemoteTeam to Gusto, MovieLaLa to Gfycat), and investing in 200+ startups including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Scale AI. I write about what I've lived.