DevRel has been under fire. There’s a widespread feeling and fear among DevRel professionals that we might not be as valued in certain organizations and that our jobs could be at risk. This concern often stems from the difficulty DevRels face in explaining—or even understanding—how they can contribute to larger business goals.
In this post, I’m going to explain how to think about your DevRel organization in a way that drives your business goals. Whether you're approaching this from upper management's perspective, the DevRel leader's perspective, or even as an individual DevRel professional, this guide is for you.
When you run your DevRel organization, the first thing you’ll want to understand—and be able to explain to management or any other stakeholder—is why your organization exists in the first place.
DevRels are essential for certain types of businesses, particularly DevTool businesses, because they help you understand your core customers—developers—often better than those developers understand themselves. DevRels can articulate the competitive landscape, the problem space, and how your product is differentiated from other offerings.
Your DevRel organization can contribute to your larger business goals in a few key ways, depending on where it sits within your organization—whether it’s under product, marketing, or sales. Let’s break it down.
There are three potential goals that your DevRel organization might focus on. You could prioritize one, or you might target multiple goals:
Let’s take a closer look at each of these.
For retention, your DevRel organization should deeply understand your users, the problem space, and how your users interact with your product—alongside other competitors. DevRels should act as consultants to the product team, offering suggestions on how to improve your product. They should be the first line of defense, identifying issues or areas for improvement before users do.
Retention is critical for both consumer and SaaS products. When you can retain users—especially developers who are passionate about your product—you’re more likely to maintain their revenue longer, increase their lifetime value, and reduce churn. Even if decision-makers don’t use the product as frequently as developers, seeing that developers are enthusiastic and consistently engaged can convince them to continue their subscription, contributing directly to your business’s bottom line.
Typical marketers often lack a developer background, and that’s where DevRels step in. DevRels help craft messaging and stories that resonate with developers, who tend to respond more to fact-based, straightforward communication rather than overhyped or vague messaging.
Since marketing professionals may not be familiar with the developer or problem space, DevRels should serve as consultants, providing their domain expertise. Better marketing messaging leads to a better ROI on your marketing spend and can inspire your marketing team to explore new avenues, whether that’s through events, content, or other channels.
DevRels can also play a crucial role in equipping your sales team with the materials they need. When your sales reps or account executives repeatedly encounter the same objections, they should be prepared to address them on the spot. This might come in the form of white papers that highlight your product’s unique strengths, blog posts that demonstrate its ROI in customers’ engineering organizations, or opinion pieces that elevate your product’s status.