Devrel Uni: Was it worth it?

How I got in...

You know those random afternoons where you just bump into a tweeter space and decide to join in? So this was me on that fated afternoon I went scrolling on Twitter and bumped into a Twitter space hosted by Shawn Charles . It was here that I first heard about Devrel Uni and applied immediately, and a few weeks later got accepted into the program.

I will always look back to this Twitter space that changed my entire projectile with fondness

I initially didn't know what to expect except for what was outlined in the website, and I can confidently say it for sure surpassed my expectations.

DevRel Uni has served as a guiding light for me as an aspiring developer advocate. It has been an incredible journey of knowledge and insights. Over the course of five sessions, I've gained valuable insights into the world of DevRel, and I'm excited to share my key takeaways with you.

From understanding the core principles to diving deep into documentation strategy, DevRel Uni has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge that I can't wait to apply.

The program's inception reflects not just the technical acumen of its founder but also her profound understanding of the human side of developer relations. Bianca's commitment to providing valuable insights, practical advice, and a supportive community environment has inspired countless devrels to reach new heights in their careers.

Session 1 : DevRel 101

Why was Devrel founded?

Bianca Buzea, the visionary founder of Devrel Uni, stands as a true inspiration to the vibrant community of developer relations professionals worldwide. Her journey and dedication to the field have not only paved the way for her own success but have also ignited a flame of inspiration for countless aspiring and existing devrels.

Bianca's motivation to establish Devrel Uni stemmed from a profound desire to be a guiding light in the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of developer relations. Through her own experiences and challenges in the industry, she recognized the need for a comprehensive platform that would empower individuals entering or navigating the world of DevRel.

Branches of Devrel

During the enlightening session on Devrel 101, the exploration of the two distinct branches of DevRel, namely Developer+ and Developer First, provided me with a panoramic view of the diverse approaches within the field.

Developer+ emphasizes a holistic engagement strategy, focusing on selling their products and services and developer support is a side offering.

On the other hand, Developer First places paramount importance on the individual developer, tailoring strategies to meet their specific needs and preferences. This nuanced understanding opened my eyes to the richness of possibilities within DevRel.

Why was Devrel as a role introduced?

Session 2: How to Get into DevRel without Prior Experience

The key attributes that emerged as pivotal for achieving success as a Developer Relations Advocate are:

✅ Have an unfounded confidence in you!!
✅ Articulate your value
✅ Ensuring DevRel is the Right Fit
✅ Be Passionately Obsessed
✅ Experience is never a blocker
✅ Have tenacious Persistence

Session 3: The Impact of DevRel on Product Development focusing on excellent documentation

This session covered another important aspect of what it means to be a great Developer Advocate with emphasis being on documentation.

Things to consider for good documentation

• Utilize Code Snippets: Incorporate concise and clear code snippets to enhance understanding.

• Explanatory Text: Follow code snippets with detailed explanatory text to provide comprehensive context.

• Widgets for Sectional Clarity: Introduce widgets for distinct sections, ensuring clarity and easy navigation.

• Inject Playfulness: Infuse documentation with a playful and engaging tone to captivate the audience.

• Continuous Improvement: Establish a feedback loop for ongoing enhancements, fostering an iterative and dynamic documentation process.

• Conduct Case Studies: Dive into case studies as a strategic tool to gain profound insights into customer needs and preferences.

• Themed Documentation: Apply the concept of theming documentation, creating a cohesive and user-friendly experience.

Session 4: Level Up Your DevRel Decision Making: Focus, Metrics, and Shared Success

As the developer advocate role is still relatively new and most companies are trading on murky waters, it's vitally important for you to define what you choose to focus on, how to involve the rest of the departments and what are the metrics of your success

To level up your decision-making process;

1) Focus on the right things

• Have quarterly project planning which is broken down to 2weeks

• Plan check to see if you are capable of accomplishing them, do you need support?

• Factor in breaks between your projects

• Have 1 inbox for all your communications to increase productivity

  2) Use Metrics to align

  • We get metrics by factoring in the activity that was done against the outcomes that it gives.

  • The first metric - Theorical metrics of success are measured by the happiness of developers/users and adoption of the product.

  • Practical metrics are measured by scope and are scoped down from;

  • The company➡️to the team, ➡️ to the project ➡️to the individual.

3)Your success comes from Shared success

• The devrel position covers a lot of stakeholders in any organisation and at all times you need to align with your stakeholders.

• Your role is to add value for everyone as your feedback determines the future of the product.

• You can manage expectations by;

• Telling people what you are going to do ➡️ Doing it ➡️ Show you did it ➡️ Show it mattered.

Session 5: Documentation Strategy

This session showcased key roadmap strategies to follow when formulating documentation.

1. Elements when Choosing Documentation Tool

   1. Ease of use

   2. Does it allow versioning?

   3. Customizable & branding

   4. Localisation eg does it allow different programming languages

   5. How is the Plugin and integration ecosystem?

   6. Is there support and is it community-backed?

   7. Access control

   8. Metrics and analytics

   9. Content elements eg...

2. Different documentation structures

   • Tutorials => These are for new users on the site and should have clear navigations about the site with practical examples

   • How to guide => This is to answer questions from somewhat experienced users. It should have simple clear steps towards the solution and answer all the questions leaving no room for doubt

   • Explanation => Used to Discuss & explain things from a wider view . They are used to Answer the how and why

   • Reference => This is Information oriented and is used during the working phase

3. Example Documentation tools

   • Readme.com

   • Gitbook

   • Archbee

   • Alphadoc

   • Docusaurus

   • Nextra

4. Factor in Developer experience

   1. Include a search bar

   2. Have a clear learning journey

   3. Avoid local setup

   4. Make content interactive using a sandbox

5. Documentation feedback

   1. You can use thumbs up/down

   2. Emojis

   3. User reviews

   4. Surveys

6. Some of the best documentation examples

   • Harshicop

   • Cello

   • Digital Ocean

   • Stripe

What I achieved during the program

✅ Wrote an Ethereum Cookbook

✅ Devrel Strategies for Uniswap Protocal

✅ My take on elevating Developer experience at Postman

✅ Participated in a #10DaysDevRel Challenge

✅ Became more consistent in my public learning

✅ Participated in Hacktoberfest

✅ Participated and completed the #30DaysOpenSource challenge

✅ Made new connections which transformed into friendships

Conclusion

DevRel Uni has been an eye-opening experience, equipping me with a comprehensive understanding of Developer Relations and effective advocacy.

The journey has provided not just knowledge but a roadmap for my future endeavours in this field. I am immensely grateful to DevRel Uni for the opportunity to learn and grow.

The insights gained here will undoubtedly shape my journey in Developer Relations, and I can't wait to put them into practice.

Thank you, DevRel Uni, for being the guiding light that the DevRel community needed. Let the learning and advocacy continue!🎉🥳

If this article resonated with you or sparked new ideas, feel free to celebrate the insights gained with a reaction or comment.

Thank you🙇‍♂️