Building DevRel Teams to Last

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Building Developer Relations Teams to Last Todd
Anglin Principal Cloud Advocate Microsoft

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Download these slides aka.ms/anglin-devrelcon

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference What we’ll cover today • Unique value
of DevRel • Building and aligning teams (to last) • Measuring the impact of DevRel • Common mistakes that trip DevRel teams

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference My DevRel Journey f f f

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Kendo UI Developer tools NativeScript Open source
Ecosystem Platform

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Building DevRel teams to last is hard.

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Common DevRel Cycle Initial Enthusiasm Early success
& Scale up Bean counting Hot potato Final destination

& Scale up Bean counting Hot potato Final destination ”Do what you do!”

& Scale up Bean counting Hot potato Final destination “Put a little DevRel on it.”

& Scale up Bean counting Hot potato Final destination “Do you drive MQLs?”

& Scale up Bean counting Hot potato Final destination “Can someone drive DevRel ROI?”

& Scale up Bean counting Hot potato Final destination “Welcome to marketing/sales”

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Why is this cycle common? 1. Failure
to define unique value of DevRel 2. Failure to properly build and align team 3. Inability to effectively communicate DevRel impact 4. Failure to adjust as the team scales

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Unique value of DevRel

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Developer Relations (DevRel) Developer Advocates (Advocates) Technical
writers Designers Program managers Events specialists Engineers Producers

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference What defines the craft of DevRel?

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Story tellers Translators Ambassadors

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Authenticity

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Help first, Sell last

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference H helping

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Common DevRel modes 1. Content Engine 2.
Boots on the Ground 3. Authentic Customer Experts

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Content engine • Produce authentic content that
helps technical audiences solve problems and do more Unique to DevRel: Content that organically attracts technical audiences Content that goes to where technical audiences already hang out

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Boots on the Ground • The human
connection between companies and technical audiences Unique to DevRel: Technically authentic conversations not pressured by sales Recognized, trusted voices in the community

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Authentic Experts • Advise customers on how
best to use solve problems and use products Unique to DevRel: Technical experts with a ”help first” mentality

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference DevRel @ Microsoft • Focused on all
aspects of how technical audiences engage with Microsoft Cloud Advocacy Docs Microsoft Learn Localization Community programs

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Many flavors of DevRel • Understand your
audience segments: • Professional Developers vs Citizen Dev • Frontend, Backend, Operations, etc • By region, by language, by technical area

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Building and Aligning Teams

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference How do you build an effective DevRel
team?

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference PASSION For your company For your products
For your customers For technology For helping others

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference COMMUNICATION Writing Speaking (1:M) Speaking (1:1) With
technical experts With n00bs

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference TECHNICAL EXPERT “Wide and shallow” Deep in
focused areas Established (or establishing) voice Social media presence Demo on the spot

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Speaking Writing Community Streaming

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Keys to success 1. Leverage the strengths
that you hire 2. Set clear expectations and definition of success 3. Build strong internal partnerships

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Defining a one-size- fits-all Advocate template Common
DevRel Pitfall

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Create alignment

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Product Marketing Users

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Low visibility into activity and planning Common
DevRel Pitfall

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Engineering Net Promoter Score (eNPS) • Do
you know if your internal partners are satisfied? • Do you know how to improve your partnership? • A short, quarterly survey (5 questions) • Sent to product team members that work with (or want to work with) Cloud Advocacy • Designed to capture where partnerships are working well, and where improvement is needed

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Johari Window Open Blind spot Hidden Unknown
Known to others Not known to others Known to self Not known to self

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Example eNPS Results Has DevRel met your
partnership expectations? Has DevRel proactively helped identify or resolve product issues? Has DevRel accurately represented and positioned product(s) to external communities? Has DevRel helped provide product audience insights or created connections with customers? Yes No Maybe On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend working with Cloud Advocacy to other Azure product teams? eNPS: 16 [Promoter: 42% | Detractor: 26% | Passive: 32%]

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Define a ”DevRel API” Help partner organizations
better understand what DevRel does (and doesn’t do) Make partnership less chaotic Events Webcast Blog Demo

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Where should DevRel live?

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Common options 1. Independent 2. In Product
3. In Marketing

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference In Product In Marketing Independent • Docs
• Demos • Product or feature adoption • Webcasts • Whitepapers • MQL-linked activities • Increased authenticity • Optimize for long-term

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Measuring the impact

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Key KPI challenges Drive wrong behaviors Reduce
team effectiveness Capture indirect value

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Activity vs Impact

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Focusing on vanity metrics Common DevRel Pitfall

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Measuring DevRel • Butts in seats •
Event size • Posts per week Less effective More effective • New trials • (Quality) Traffic • Product feedback Quality Quantity

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Shared & Indirect Metrics • Impact from
DevRel activities often shows-up in downstream metrics owned by other teams Publish an article on a 3rd party site Increases credibility Share product news on social media Credibility converts to new trial

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Easy to measure Hard to measure •
Blogs • Webcasts • Videos • Online content • Events • OSS contributions • Meetups • Offline content

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Be authentic. Help first. Focus and align.

@toddanglin | #DevRelConference Thanks. Todd Anglin @toddanglIn [email protected] aka.ms/anglin-devrelcon

Building DevRel Teams to Last

Building DevRel Teams to Last

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