Author of Developer Marketing Does Not Exist. I help dev-focused marketers build a content strategy to reach more developers. Previously @zapier, @sendgrid
Are most API teams building endpoints or solving problems?
From at least my days at https://t.co/HI8IGVfgY8, I’ve said endpoints aren't always the same as use cases.
Now the rise of AI agents has refocused us all on what they’ll need to accomplish.
How do you keep your aim on solving real user problems?
Sometimes you just want coffee, but my order may have embarrassed my friend.
He was beyond excited to meet me at a very fancy coffee shop in my neighborhood.
This place is internationally known. There are two in the United States: one in Portland, the other in our hipster sibling city of Austin. They've been known to sell $150 cups of coffee.
My friend was entirely into the experience:
- He asked about the beans, their origin story, and roasting profile
- Then he wanted to know grinds: coarse, fine, even knew the numbering system
- And the filter, the pourover system, the temperature of the water
But it wasn't over after he ordered. They brought the grounds to the table where he smelled them and he felt them with his fingers.
It was a complete experience. Every choice was intentional, every detail mattered.
In both coffee and technical content, the experience often matters a lot. However, it’s sometimes overshadowed by the task at hand.
Which gets to my embarrassment: I asked for "coffee."
I may have chosen a region at random from the menu. I'm sure I told them the size.
And then, of course, the crucial piece: I wanted my coffee "for here." The key job to be done for that coffee was to buy me a seat so I could connect with my friend.
It's not that my friend didn't want to see me. It's just that he also cared about the experience.
Frequently, we see marketers generalize about content types. Some believe it must include a demo of the product in action. Others think it must cut away all the "fluff" and only show facts. Or we hear that it must be video, or definitely should not be video.
There is no one way or one type of content that's going to be what every developer wants all the time.
The job to be done for most technical content is to make sense of complex
topics. To educate and inspire developers to take the next step. And that
can take the shape of any number of formats.
Sometimes developers want the full coffee experience—complete with bean
origin stories and grinding specifications. Other times, they just want a
coffee that gets them to the next step.
A developer marketer’s job is to help guide them.
@_mcameron44 I can’t get enough of these stories about his generosity. There was one about “FULL SHARE” from Piazza’s memoir how Rickey would always vote to share playoff bonuses with clubhouse staff.
@_mcameron44 Happy belated: two friends and I played you in the Grid today in tribute.
(Sorry for the spoiler, but assume you already know where you qualify)
@crtr0@samjulien@CascadiaJS Didn’t expect a service to have such an abrupt shutdown. I’ve been a customer for five years. Yes, hard to imagine doing anything but Quickbooks now. My accountant will be happier because all the reports will look right.
@bdougieYO@brandontroberts Thank you both for even more transparency to our increasingly open world. Being part of Linux Foundation matches that vision.