If you're a startup trying to build out a Developer Relations program, but haven't got a strong idea of where to start, consider the idea of bringing on a fractional Chief Developer Relations Officer (CDRO), a peer to your other C-suite officers. (Why you want to do this is described here.)
Some of the things Ted can offer as a fractional CTO to your organization include:
- Industry insight and expertise. Ted's built out DevRel teams at several companies over the last decade, and knows the players and the game. What kind of developers do you want to reach? What sort of message are you looking to bring them? What kind of feedback do you want from them? All of this--and much, much more--goes into the crafting of a strong DevRel program.
- Strategic planning. Developer Relations is an amalgamation of engineering, product, marketing, and sales--but it can't be too strongly dominated by any one of them, or it begins to lose its way. Having somebody who can navigate the tightrope of all four organizations can mean the difference between wasted time and money, and a program that all four organizations find to be a valuable partner.
- "Dirty hands" readiness. Often, the main reason to bring in a fractional CDRO is because you don't have the resources to bring in a full-time developer advocate. In those situations, you want a CDRO who can step in, do the talks, write the articles, build the samples, manage the social media, and advise the engineering and product teams as to what's being said.
- Successful team building. Then, when the runway gets longer and the income starts to support it, you want a CDRO who can shift away from "doing" the work, towards building a team and "leading" the work and growing the team. Getting junior developer advocates "boostrapped" into the conference scene can be tricky unless you have people who've done it before and know how to find that soft spot between "doing it myself" and "toss 'em in, sink or swim".
Published on 11 May 2023