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What is DevRel's job?
DevRel, short for Developer Relations, is a profession that is gaining in importance in the current technology sector.
Also mistakenly referred to as Developer Evangelist or Developer Advocate, this professional sits at the intersection between tech companies and the developer community.
This role is part of the broad Developer Relations category, which encompasses various emerging professions atintersection of technology, marketing, product, or engineering teams.
Appeared in the 1980s at Apple, under the leadership of Guy Kawasaki, the DevRel concept was adapted to meet the requirements of the sector. Today, companies like Google, OVHcloud, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS) see DevRels as key elements of their strategy.
The mission focuses on two points:
- Technological promotion : They present and explain their company's technologies to the developer community, to facilitate adoption.
- Feedback collection : They collect feedback and needs from developers to guide the evolution of products and services.
This role makes DevRel a real link between the company and its community. They simplify technical concepts to make them accessible, while conveying user concerns to development teams.
The job requires a set of skills:
- Solid technical expertise
- Developed communication skills
- An ability to create and animate communities
- Constant monitoring of technological advances
In summary, DevRel is more than just a technical spokesperson.
He is a mediator, educator, and community strategist who plays an important role in how tech companies interact with their core audience: developers.
Key responsibilities
1. Developer promotion and education
DevRel is the company's technical spokesperson to the technical community. Its role is to promote products while educating users on how to use them effectively.
DevRel's daily routine includes different types of activities, ranging from attending conferences to creating technical content.
This is achieved by:
- Participation in major industry conferences
- Organization of educational events such as hackathons
- Creation of varied technical content
- Facilitating interactive webinars
For example, at KubeCon 2023, Docker DevRels presented the new features of Docker Desktop to over 7,000 participants. Likewise, Twilio DevRels organize the annual Twilio SIGNAL hackathon, which attracts thousands of passionate developers.
Content creation is at the core of their work. Stripe DevRels, for example, regularly publish detailed guides on integrating payment APIs, to facilitate the adoption of their services.
2. Community Management and Support
DevRel is the bridge between the company and its developer community. This responsibility involves constant interaction and active support. The daily life of DevRel professionals is full of varied activities, anecdotes and humorous moments that illustrate the reality of this profession.
Their main tasks are:
- Facilitate dedicated forums and communication channels
- Provide direct technical support
At MongoDB, for example, DevRels gather valuable feedback at events like MongoDB World. These insights directly influence the development of products like MongoDB Atlas, which shows the concrete impact of their work on business offerings.
3. Representation of developers within the company
strategic role of Devrel
DevRel is the voice of developers at the heart of the organization. This role involves working closely with internal teams to ensure that community needs are taken into account in product development.
They are tasked with conveying community challenges and requests to product and engineering teams, as well as helping integrate company products into developer applications.
This role allows them to contribute significantly to the continuous improvement of the company's products and services.
4. Development of strategic partnerships
DevRel is at the heart of the expansion of the business ecosystem. This facet of their work involves building strong relationships within the tech industry.
Their tasks are:
- Building relationships with key industry influencers
- Participate in industry events
- Create collaborations with other organizations or communities
This increases the reach and adoption of the company's offerings, and strengthens its position in the technology ecosystem.
In summary, DevRel is a multi-faceted, technical, communication and strategic ambassador. Its role is essential in building and maintaining an engaged and loyal developer community.
DevRel's business skills
Technical expertise
Development experience
A DevRel should have at least 5 years of development experience. This covers:
- Technologies like.NET or Azure (especially at Microsoft)
- Popular stacks in 2024: JavaScript, Python, Kubernetes, Docker
- Major cloud platforms: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
Knowledge of modern development tools is essential. This includes GitHub proficiency in code and CI/CD practices for integration and continuous deployment.
AI integration
In today's technological landscape, understanding AI has become essential. A DevRel should:
- Understand technologies like TensorFlow to explain and promote them
- Know how to integrate AI solutions into existing products to improve functionalities
Marketing and communication skills
Simplifying complex concepts
The ability to explain complex technical concepts is essential. This involves:
- Explain advanced technologies in a simple and engaging way
- Create clear and accessible documentation
For example, a DevRel at Google needs to be able to explain TensorFlow to a variety of audiences, from beginners to experts.
Public presence and engagement
A DevRel should be comfortable speaking in public to:
- Host conferences and webinars
- Interacting effectively on social networks
The use of tools like Buffer and Hootsuite is common for managing these interactions and analyzing their impact.
Contents
Creating educational and promotional content is a key skill. This includes:
- Writing technical blog posts
- Producing tutorial videos
- Optimize SEO to increase online visibility
Data analysis and community engagement
A DevRel should know:
- Use analytics tools to measure the effectiveness of campaigns
- Managing negative feedback and community challenges
- Organize events like hackathons and meetups
For example, at GitHub, DevRels had to deal with negative feedback on controversial GitHub Actions updates, turning these challenges into opportunities for improvement.
In summary, DevRel's job requires a unique balance between technical expertise, communication skills, and the ability to build and maintain community relationships. It's a multi-faceted role that plays a critical role in the success of modern technology businesses.
DevRel tools
1. Content creation and management
DevRels need powerful tools to create and manage technical content. Among the most used are:
- Read the Docs and Confluence for technical documentation
- Docusaurus to create Web sites Of documentation
- Google Codelabs for interactive tutorials
- CodePen and CodeSandbox for live coding environments
These tools allow DevRels to produce clear and comprehensive resources that are essential for developer education.
2. Commitment and community management
Community interaction is at the core of DevRel's role. The following tools make this task easier:
- Discourse and Vanilla Forums to create discussion forums
- Discord for real-time interactions
- Dev.to and Stack Overflow to share knowledge
These platforms allow DevRels to build and animate an active community of developers.
3. Events
Events are essential for networking and education. DevRels use:
- Eventbrite and MeetUp.com For the meetups
- Hopin for virtual conferences
- Glitch and Observable for live code demonstrations
These tools help plan, promote, and execute events that connect developers to business technology.
4. Tracking returns and issues
To continuously improve products, DevRels rely on:
- GitHub Issues and JIRA for issues
- Typeform and SurveyMonkey for structured returns
These platforms make it possible to collect, prioritize and process community feedback.
5. Social media and content publishing
Presence on social networks is mandatory. DevRels use:
- Buffer and Hootsuite to manage posts across platforms
- Typefully to optimize engagement on Twitter
These tools help maintain a consistent and engaging social media presence.
6. Automation and integration
To increase efficiency, DevRels rely on:
- Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) for workflows
- SuperSend for prospecting by email and LinkedIn
These tools make it possible to automate repetitive tasks, to save time for activities with higher added value.
7. Analysis and CRM
To measure the impact of their efforts, DevRels use:
- Google Analytics and Hotjar for content performance
- HubSpot and Salesforce for developers and partners
These tools help refine DevRel strategies.
By using these tools intelligently, DevRels save time, improve their impact, and connect with marketing and the developer community.
Conclusion
DevRel is mandatory for tech companies that want to connect with the developer community. This profession, although still unknown, offers challenges and an exciting daily life.
The Developer Relations role is mandatory for tech companies that want to connect with the developer community.
In combination with a unique set of skills, it is the link between product promotion, community engagement, and continuous improvement. To optimize DevRel, it is necessary to define clear objectives, use a multiple channel and be agile in the face of the varied activities that make up this business.
Ultimately, a well-done DevRel can improve a company's reputation and create a community of committed and loyal developers. As a technical advocate, you combine skills in technology, marketing, and community management, asking questions about the sometimes mild perceptions associated with this role.
