Ah, DevRel – the tech world’s equivalent of sticking a megaphone in the hands of a mime: everyone sees the gestures, but no one knows what the hell they’re trying to say. Now, if you’re considering hiring a DevRel, buckle up, buttercup, because I’m about to serve you a reality sandwich with a side of snark.
First off, let’s get one thing clear: if your idea of a DevRel is just another pretty face to parrot your press releases and tweet your hashtags, save your money. Buy a billboard. Hire a skywriter. Hell, teach a parrot to code – at least it’ll be good for a laugh.
But if you’re serious – and I mean commit-your-heart-and-soul serious – about having a DevRel, you need to understand that they’re not just your company’s cheerleader. A DevRel is the bridge between your codebase and the wild jungles of developers who might, if the stars align, use your tools to build the next big thing. They’re not just mouthpieces; they’re part diplomat, part engineer, part evangelist, and all badass.
Responsibilities, Rights, and Resources
Your DevRel should have the power to make decisions, the responsibility to carry them out, and the resources to not make them look like a clown at a board meeting. If they’re going to advocate for your product or platform, they need to have a seat at the table where decisions are made – preferably not the kids’ table.
If you’re not willing to give your DevRel this level of clout, then you might as well have your founders or a seasoned developer play double duty. At least they’ve got the chops and the battle scars to speak with authority, and they won’t have to end every sentence with, “I’ll get back to you after I check with the grown-ups.”
Branding and Content Strategy
Now, if you’ve decided to go all-in and appoint a dedicated DevRel, for the love of Silicon Valley, let them dive deep into the heart of your company. They need to be so entwined with your projects that they dream in commit hashes and wake up with whiteboard marker on their faces.
Work with them to build a complete brand guideline and content strategy that resonates with your internal vision and the external developer community. This isn’t about slapping together a few blog posts and calling it a day. It’s about crafting a narrative that developers can rally behind, a story that’s as compelling as the ‘one more thing’ at an Apple keynote.
And please, don’t make your DevRel pull content out of their ass because you’ve kept them in the dark. Nothing smells worse than insincerity and ignorance, except maybe your server room after a hard shutdown.
In Conclusion
A DevRel is more than just a hype machine. They’re the voice of your developer community within your company, and they’re your company’s ambassador to the outside world. If you’re not ready to give them the power, responsibility, and resources they need to be effective, then you don’t need the fucking DevRel.
You need a miracle.