Navigating DevRel in 2024

Sam Julien is the director of developer relations at Writer. He's an instructor for egghead and the author of Getting Started in Developer Relations. He has a long-standing career in DevRel, and in this conversation with Sam, he shared insights and tips on navigating DevRel in 2024.

If you prefer to watch the live stream, head over to our YouTube channel.

Can you share a brief overview of developer relations?

Developer Relations (DevRel) involves acting as the human API between a software company and the developer community. This role can take on many forms, such as developer marketing, which involves promoting the company's products and services to developers. It can also include education, like conducting talks and workshops and creating documentation to help developers understand and use the company's products. DevRel also provides feedback from the developer community to the product and product marketing teams. It is a dynamic role that bridges the needs of both developers and the company.

How did you start your career in DevRel?

I started my career in finance but shifted to full-stack development about a decade ago, specializing in C# and JavaScript. I worked with these technologies at a financial company and later at a nonprofit, where I encountered a challenging issue with Angular migration. I created a popular video course to address this, leading me to make more video tutorials.

Around 2017, I was approached by Kim Maida from Auth0 after publishing articles and courses on Angular. This led to my joining Auth0's content team, writing technical tutorials on authentication and various JavaScript frameworks. Over the years, I transitioned into roles such as developer advocate, manager of DevRel teams, and eventually Director of Developer Relations, where I helped build organizational structures, hire, and manage budgets.

I recently joined Writer, an enterprise generative AI company, as the director of developer relations.

Do you think DevRel is dead? Many people think DevRel is not worth pursuing in 2024.

I wouldn't say it's dead at all; it's evolving significantly. Before the pandemic, there was a hiring boom in tech, with large DevRel teams traveling worldwide, giving talks, and investing heavily in outreach. During the pandemic, DevRel adapted to virtual formats, increased streaming, and focused on content creation.

However, in 2022, economic shifts led to layoffs across tech, including DevRel. It's tough because DevRel often falls under marketing, and marketing budgets are often the first to get squeezed.

DevRel still plays a crucial role. Even though teams are smaller now and companies are more cautious with spending, the need to connect developers with the rest of the company hasn't gone away. I've been talking to many CMOs, VPs of marketing, and CTOs lately, and they all see the value in DevRel. Marketing folks don't always get how developers think, and product teams struggle to communicate effectively with devs. That's where DevRel steps in, ensuring everyone speaks the same language and getting developers excited about using their products.

Is there a career progression for people in DevRel? If yes, what are the typical paths?

DevRel sits at the intersection of software development and marketing, offering a wide range of skills and flexibility to specialize. It's a great way to explore various career paths within tech. In DevRel, you can progress from roles like Developer Advocate to Senior Developer Advocate and possibly to Principal Developer Advocate, handling more complex projects and collaborating across teams.

Some people also do a little DevRel and then pivot to other areas, like going back to engineering or jumping into product management or product marketing. DevRel gives you a solid foundation in understanding how developers think and work, which is invaluable across many tech roles.

What advice would you give someone looking to start a career in Developer Relations?

My advice has been pretty consistent: you don't necessarily need a full-time DevRel job to start doing it. If there's a software product or tool you're passionate about, start talking about it and creating content around it. That's essentially doing DevRel right there.

I usually suggest picking your preferred medium—whether it's writing, video, or speaking—and experimenting with it. Try to be consistent, maybe once a week or every couple of weeks, and see how it feels. Pay attention to the feedback you get; if it's positive and you feel you're making an impact, that's a good sign.

Just dive in and get started. Many companies appreciate community-driven initiatives, even if they're not hiring. They'll often support and promote your work if it's valuable to their community. Engaging actively in forums or Discord channels related to your interest can also get you noticed.

It's a great way to test the waters and decide if you want to pursue DevRel full-time.

How technical do you need to be in developer relations?

It really depends on the role you're aiming for. For junior developer advocate positions, you can get started with limited technical experience. DevRel also offers roles like community management, which don't require deep technical skills but focus on building and nurturing communities, managing Discord servers, gathering feedback, and organizing events and live streams—these are critical needs in DevRel.

However, having technical skills becomes more important if you're aiming for roles in very technical products aimed at technical audiences. But even then, it's not impossible to break in without deep technical knowledge. Many paths into DevRel involve learning technical skills while you work in the field.

What key skills do you think are essential for success in DevRel?

The first key skill is empathy. You need to be empathetic with users and customers, as you'll be dealing with many questions and feedback. Good listening and empathy skills are crucial.

Another essential skill is breaking down complex topics and explaining them clearly. Whether you're giving a talk, writing, or teaching, having a mindset geared toward education is important.

Lastly, having a growth mindset and a willingness to learn constantly is key. DevRel requires you to stay updated with new technologies and products, so enjoying this continuous learning process is important.

When you join a new company as a DevRel, you’re often required to develop a strategy. How would you advise someone to approach this?

Building a strategy is really important because if you don't take the time to stop and think about what you're doing, you can spend a lot of time doing random things and not see any results.

First, talk to customers or learn from them to understand their needs. Focus on what they're doing and what they care about. This will help you create relevant content and identify important trends.

Next, align with your leaders and stakeholders to ensure everyone has the same understanding of DevRel and its goals. Ask them for their definitions of success to set clear boundaries and manage expectations.

Avoid building your strategy in isolation. Share your progress and get feedback to keep everyone in agreement. Document your decisions to maintain transparency and ensure everyone is on the same page.

How can DevRel professionals balance the needs of the company with the interests of the developer community?

Find areas where the product genuinely solves developers' problems and focus on those. The company wants to increase product usage, whether through awareness or signups. Understanding the company's stage and the nature of the product helps in this.

To balance both needs, regularly communicate with upper management about your impact. Use both numbers and stories to show the impact. You might need to push back on the company sometimes. If a feature isn't useful, bring data and feedback from the community to support your case. Companies respond to customer data, so use that to advocate for the community's needs.

What's your take on companies hiring their first DevRel professional? Are there any specific qualities or experiences you look for?

Hiring the first DevRel professional can be tricky. Many job descriptions compress multiple roles into one, expecting skills in strategy, video, advocacy, community management, social media, content creation, and more. It's important to define the specific needs clearly. I often advise companies to initially consider hiring more than one DevRel person, especially if they're beyond the early startup stage.

During interviews, candidates should clarify the company's primary needs and understand their plans for team expansion. Without a clear team strategy, burnout becomes a risk, as there's a misconception that one person can effectively handle numerous DevRel responsibilities.

Do you think AI would affect how DevRel is being done? Is this negative or positive?

I think it's a mix, but mostly positive. Using AI for code generation and drafting tutorials is amazing. For instance, I use AI to generate sample applications and create initial drafts of tutorials. Then, I edit and personalize them, saving a ton of time. AI can drastically speed up work, allowing us to get more done.

However, you need to ensure accuracy and best practices. You can't just publish AI-generated content without reviewing it. Overall, AI is a huge time-saver. What used to take me 30-40 hours to write a thorough technical blog or create a full technical talk now takes half the time or less.

This efficiency means the same people can do twice as much work, or companies might opt to have fewer people doing the same amount of work, which can reduce job opportunities in technical content creation. But we're far from AI eliminating the need for human involvement. Fully AI-generated content often lacks quality and human touch.

So, while AI will reduce some headcount, we should embrace its capabilities to enhance our work. There's still a strong need for human involvement in the DevRel process.

In your opinion, what is the future of DevRel in the next 5-10 years?

In the next 5-10 years, DevRel will likely become more integrated with product and marketing leadership, focusing on strategic and creative initiatives. As AI evolves, it will handle more routine tasks like writing tutorials and generating content, allowing DevRel professionals to concentrate on human-to-human interactions and strategic planning.

The core of DevRel—human-to-human contact—will remain essential. Customers often prefer speaking with a human rather than dealing with automated systems. This fundamental need for personal interaction ensures that DevRel will continue to be vital, even as the tools and technologies around it evolve.

You can connect with Sam on X(Twitter) and LinkedIn.