Developer Marketing Stories

Matthew Revell and Adam DuVander
Developer Marketing Stories

Ever wondered just how brands like Vercel, Auth0, and Twilio won enormous developer mindshare? In this podcast, we sit down with hands-on developer marketing leaders to dive into what they did, what went well, and what went wrong when they brought a developer-targeted product to market. And you can level-up your own developer marketing or DevRel career with our coaching and training program: https://developer.marketing

Episodes

  1. The Accidental Rise of Live Coding on Twitch

    JAN 31

    The Accidental Rise of Live Coding on Twitch

    What happens when you accidentally discover a whole new developer audience?   At Twitch, Katie Penn and her team set out to build a platform for game integrations—but instead found developers eager to live code. She shares how they recognized the opportunity, leaned into it, and built a thriving developer ecosystem.   Sponsored by Developer Marketing in Practice: The coaching and training program to level-up your developer marketing career.   Episode outline:   01:26 – Understanding Twitch’s developer audienceKatie explains how Twitch initially focused on gaming integrations but saw the opportunity to expand into a broader developer ecosystem. 03:35 – Using live streaming to engage developersKatie shares how her team experimented with live coding streams, unexpectedly drawing in developer advocates and growing a new community. 07:21 – The challenge of trust in developer marketingReflecting on Twitter’s Fabric launch, Katie highlights the difficulty of rebuilding developer trust after past missteps. 10:17 – Why showing ‘under the hood’ mattersKatie emphasizes how transparency—whether through blog posts or live demos—helps developers connect with a platform. 12:29 – Segmenting developer audiences effectivelyKatie discusses how different types of developers (enterprise, hobbyists, mobile app developers) have distinct motivations and engagement patterns. 19:19 – Strategies for engaging different developer typesKatie outlines how different audiences require tailored approaches, from partnerships to content marketing to meetups. 26:30 – Metrics for tracking developer engagementKatie breaks down key metrics Twitch used to measure the health of its developer community, from API calls to extension adoption. 30:06 – Lessons from Twitter and TwitchKatie reflects on the risks of overpromising to developers and why developer programs need to be core to a company’s business. 35:18 – Advice for new developer marketersKatie shares why product marketing skills are essential in DevRel and how marketers can establish themselves as strategic partners.

    43 min
  2. Developer marketing at Auth0, with Gonto

    10/21/2024

    Developer marketing at Auth0, with Gonto

    Gonto, a pioneer in developer marketing and Auth0’s first marketer, reveals how he set out to build a version of marketing tailored for developers. His innovative approach played a key role in driving Auth0’s growth, ultimately leading to its IPO and $6.5 billion dollar acquisition.   Brought to you by the developer narketing coaching and training program by Matthew Revell and Adam DuVander. Learn more at developer.marketing.   Episode timeline 01:10 – Gonto’s start at Auth0: Gonto explains how he joined Auth0, shifting from a developer to a DevRel role, and eventually taking on marketing responsibilities despite his fears. 02:31 – The shift from developer to marketer: Gonto talks about his friends' skepticism and how he wanted to prove marketing could be done differently, with honesty and authenticity. 06:00 – Should your first marketing hire be a developer? Gonto discusses whether the first marketing hire at a developer tools company should have a technical background. 08:43 – A different approach to marketing: Gonto describes how his background as a developer helped him shape marketing strategies that are genuine, data-driven, and based on systematic thinking. 11:30 – Developer trust and marketing tactics: The conversation shifts to how Gonto built trust with developers by offering honest, helpful marketing content, and solving their problems without aggressively promoting Auth0. 13:02 – Choosing the right developer audiences: Gonto shares insights on why they chose frontend developers and specific technologies as key targets in the early days of Auth0. 15:22 – Repeatable marketing processes: Gonto offers advice on how startups can find the right developer audiences and communities by staying informed about new technologies and frameworks. 21:30 – Marketing to multiple audiences: The discussion moves to marketing when different technical audiences are involved, such as DevOps and developers, and how to convince multiple stakeholders within an organization. 24:20 – Enterprise sales and developer involvement: Gonto explains how the majority of Auth0’s enterprise deals came through inbound developer interest and the steps they took to convert developers into enterprise customers. 29:00 – What didn’t work: ads: Gonto shares some of the tactics that failed, including poorly targeted ads and struggles with hiring product marketers who didn’t understand the technical product. 34:00 – The importance of metrics and systematic thinking: Gonto reflects on how metrics and systematic thinking guided his marketing strategies and helped the team track success, and how over time he learned that creativity can matter more than data. Watch the video > Further reading Gonto's website Developer Marketing Coaching and Training Hoopy and EveryDeveloper

    42 min

About

Ever wondered just how brands like Vercel, Auth0, and Twilio won enormous developer mindshare? In this podcast, we sit down with hands-on developer marketing leaders to dive into what they did, what went well, and what went wrong when they brought a developer-targeted product to market. And you can level-up your own developer marketing or DevRel career with our coaching and training program: https://developer.marketing

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