Lessons Learnt in Developer Advocacy
Sam Basu | @samidip
Some Caveats
Define Developer Advocacy
The Job
Mediator between Product & Audience
Ambassador | Chase success | Champion developers
The Challenges
Developers are cynical & loyal
Know audience | Marketing does not fly | Cut out fluff
Developer Language
Developers are passionate
Showcase dev experience | Storytelling helps
The Why Matters
Pain-driven development
How does a product make life simpler | Show value
The Marketing
Make solutions contagious
Showcase real world problems | Integrations | Wow Demos
The Craft
Be truly enthusiastic about tech
Cannot fake passion | Do what you preach | Dogfood
The How
Stay on cutting edge
Build cool stuff | Know trends | Own product roadmaps
How to Human
Inclusion Matters
Don't be a Jerk
Privileges | Be kind | Respect differences
The Hustle
Motivated vs Forced
Watch for burnout | Family first | Life is short
Cut Out Noise
What did I today?
Dart Screen | Focus on what matters | Be ruthless
Make Each Day Count
Effective vs Efficient
Life happens | Triage & Delegate | Keystrokes | Health
Manage Your Brand
You Matter
Maintain dignity & integrity
Independent voice is an asset | Trust your judgement
Brand Association
You are the face
Nothing is 'off-record' | Opinion counts | Context matters
Life In Spotlight
Don't dig a hole
Tread carefully on HR/Legal | Internet does not forget
Talking to Media
Check. Check Again.
PR disasters are fun | Facts matter | Get trained
Choose Your Vice
Generalist or Specialist
Know pitfalls | Balance fame with options | Be flexible
Let Reputation Speak
Labels Don't Matter
Email Signatures | Let your work do the talking
Norms Of The Game
Choose Your Battles
Don't try doing everything
Travel or Content | Online or Offline | Avoid burnouts
The Road Warrior Life
Travel is fun, until it is not
Perks | Work doesn't stop | Footprint | Strike a balance
Let's Talk Alcohol
Yes, Really
Welcome everyone | Know boundaries
Respect Competition
It's what keeps everyone on toes
Recognize solid tech | Acknowledge chinks in armor
Get In The Weeds
Advocates are developers
Keep coding | Draw from experiences | Understand PoV
Know Thy Outlets
Pick what works for your audience
Blogs | Livestreams | Websites | Magazines | Podcasts | Webinars | Videos | Forums | Conferences | UGs | Social media | Apps | Books | Courses | Engineering interactions | Comments | Customer meetings | Hallway conversations
Tricks Of Trade
Tap into resources judiciously
Be known in circles of trust | Earn favors | Genuinely care
Build A Community
Scale your reach
Incubate a loyal army | Free amplification | Foster network
Create Value
Measurable results
Educate internally | Highlight wins | Show outreach
Protect Thyself
Tech industry changes quickly
Careful spokesperson | Get facts right | Watch reputation
Work Smart Remotely
Show value in preferred life
Tools | Expectations | Headphone | Reachable | Pants matter
Speak With Clarity
The Speaking Privilege
Use every opportunity
Speak a lot | Hone your craft | Listen with intent
Speaking Etiquettes
Be present
Entertain | Engage | Take something back | Less is more
Speak Boldly
Confidence is key
Body language | Eye contact | No sugar coating
Speak Honestly
Be genuine
'Get back to you' | Tech failures | Enthusiasm | Humor
Speak Expertly
You are the presentation
Prep hard | Live coding risks | Polished demos | KISS
Speak Respectfully
Audience isn't stupid
Primary message | Insights matter | End-to-end story
Write With Purpose
A Strong Pen
Practice makes perfect
Simple terms | Tell, show & tell again | No rambling
Make An Impact
It's only words ...
Share-friendly title | Catchy intro | Watch length
Break Up Monotony
Show your soul
Gifs/Memes help | Professional humor | Embed media
Writing Ethics
Create value
No plagiarism | No regurgitating | Show clean code
Mileage From Words
Engagement brings viewership
Plug across outlets | Encourage comments | Don't feed trolls
Edgy Sells
You will upset somebody
Hard to impress all | Ok to take sides | Get to bottom
