Evolving DevRel Strategy: Understanding Developer Needs and Communicating Value

Key Quotes

"The previous indicator was like there are a certain number of questions on stack overflow about a certain topic and if there's not that many questions oh no you're early which is good but also rough and now it's like where are the resources if it's not like very explicitly defined in docs people aren't writing blog posts it's not trained in like the llms you might be asking questions to."

Cassidy Williams explains that a lack of readily available resources, such as Stack Overflow questions or blog posts, indicates that one is working with bleeding-edge technology. This situation, while good for being an early adopter, presents challenges due to the absence of established documentation or community knowledge. Williams highlights that this is a common experience with new technologies where users must navigate and discover solutions independently.

"And so i ended up there's a whole other backstory of how things ended up happening i'm gonna do a very speedy thing i did a hackathon on an airplane that was a flight from san francisco to london my team ended up winning and i ended up speaking at the united nations and on that united nations trip i also interviewed at venmo and i got the job."

Cassidy Williams recounts an unusual path into her developer advocacy role at Venmo, involving winning a hackathon on an airplane, speaking at the United Nations, and subsequently interviewing for the position. Williams uses this anecdote to illustrate that career paths can be unconventional and that significant opportunities can arise from unexpected circumstances. This story demonstrates her ability to connect diverse experiences into a cohesive career narrative.

"I feel like the mentors I've had throughout my career and just advice and stuff that I've been given have have I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for people who were able to give me those tips where yes I have worked hard I've done the interviews I've I've I've built the things but I've gotten a lot of guidance and direction by people who were willing to lend that hand and be just like hey you're not doing this right why don't why don't you go in this direction."

Cassidy Williams emphasizes the critical role of mentors and advice in her career progression, stating she would not be where she is without their guidance. Williams explains that while hard work and skill are essential, mentorship provides crucial direction and helps correct missteps. She highlights that mentors offer advice on career paths, compensation, and strategic decisions, significantly impacting professional development.

"I mean even since last year I would imagine how things changed since then it's it's such a weird like I don't even want to call it a pendulum because I don't think we're going back to anything but first of all devrel like when I first entered it in the in the venmo years over a decade ago it was going to going to events and and just like being a present and a a a a a present person a presence at all kinds of different events constantly and it was a very in person thing and then the pandemic happened and so many things started changing in terms of like okay now dev advocates are content creators they're they're making youtube channels and podcasts and live streams and they're they're posting as much as they can they're they're getting lots of eyeballs."

Cassidy Williams describes the significant evolution of Developer Relations (DevRel), noting its shift from primarily in-person event presence to a strong focus on content creation, including YouTube channels, podcasts, and live streams, especially accelerated by the pandemic. Williams indicates that the DevRel landscape is not returning to its previous state but is undergoing continuous adaptation. She points out the increased emphasis on content creation as a primary mode of engagement for DevRel professionals.

"So that's such a great question because that's one where I've actually told companies saying like you have to stop looking at follower count because that doesn't mean anything and there's once like I it was I felt so like petty and smug or a company came to me once like tail between their legs and they were saying you are right we hired someone because they were super popular on youtube but they didn't actually know what the job was and I was like exactly so satisfying I love being right."

Cassidy Williams advises companies against prioritizing follower count when hiring for Developer Relations (DevRel) roles, citing an instance where a company learned this lesson the hard way. Williams explains that high follower counts do not necessarily translate to job competency in DevRel. She stresses that understanding the developer mindset and the specific needs of the role are far more important than superficial popularity metrics.

"For me because I've been in it for so long so much of it is driven by my gut which is not something that you can pitch to a manager or where you're just like I just know that devs will like this okay just trust me sometimes that works but that doesn't always work I feel like when I approach advocacy I try to figure out like once again who am I talking to what do they care about and stuff I really try to regularly go through like feedback of what developers are saying."

Cassidy Williams discusses her content creation philosophy, acknowledging that while intuition plays a role due to her extensive experience, she prioritizes understanding the target audience and their needs. Williams explains that she actively reviews developer feedback from various channels to identify trends and inform content strategy. She emphasizes that this data-driven approach, rather than solely relying on gut feeling, is crucial for effective advocacy and pitching ideas to management.