Over the past couple of years, I've been in the middle of conversations about whether or not DevRel belongs in marketing. At the end of the day, I don't know that it matters if you understand developers. One of the biggest pain points I've seen from marketing teams is understanding how to talk to developers because, as we all know, developers are highly sensitive to feeling like they've been "marketed to." What that really means is that they have high standards for the content they consume. Developers want to know that you understand the information. They want precision, depth, and utility.
Last year, I saw a tweet from a team lead at a large company who said that they were working on choosing a new package for a feature they were working on. The number one reason they passed on some packages? Poor documentation and resources. Developers need to be able to understand how to use software so they can be effective as they create theirs. As I dive deeper into content creation targeting developers, I'm trying to find more ways to distill effective ways of presenting that content. In this post, I'm sharing how to present technical content to a technical audience.
Understanding the Developer Mindset
Maybe the main skill a developer has is problem-solving. That's because that's what they do. Most of them aren't asking the question, "What does your product do?" They're asking, "How can this product help me to solve my current challenge?" When you create content that recognizes that ask, you're building credibility.
There is never an end to the challenges developers have to solve. That's why it's important to value their time. You need to get to the point, create a scannable and well-structured hierarchy, and provide complete solutions without unnecessary stops. As part of that, you need to understand that they're likely also looking for technical depth. They want the authors to understand not just how to implement something, but also why it needs to be implemented. If there are limitations, admit them. Don't try to hide them.
The CLEAR framework for Developer Content
There are a lot of ways that you can structure effective content, but sometimes it's nice to have a framework to maintain consistency. Here are some takeaways from my experiences:
C - Code-First Examples
Working code clearly communicates credibility to your audience. Ways to incorporate this could be:
- Functional code examples that could be copied and pasted
- Explanations that followed the code, not preceded it
- Real-world scenarios rather than contrived examples
Stripe is one of those companies that people point to as the standard for documentation. Their documentation leads with code examples, demonstrating both how the API works and how it responds to different inputs as well as common use cases.
Practical Tip: Always test your code examples in an isolated environment before publishing. Nothing undermines credibility faster than sample code that doesn't work as described.
L - Layered Complexity
Great developer content acknowledges different knowledge levels by layering information:
- Entry points for new users and learners
- Deeper technical details for experienced users
- Advanced use cases and optimizations for experts
Twilio's documentation does this exceptionally well, offering quick starts for beginners alongside detailed API references and more advanced tutorials for complex implementation scenarios.
E - Ecosystem Awareness
Great Developer Experience content acknowledges the broader ecosystem in which your product operates.
Vercel's Next.js documentation excels here, providing guidance on how Next.js interacts with various styling solutions, deployment platforms, and state management libraries.
Practical Tip: Create integration guides for popular tools in your ecosystem. These high-value resources address real workflow challenges and demonstrate your understanding of the developer's complete environment.
A - Accessible Terminology
While technical depth is important, you should avoid unnecessary jargon or marketing speak.
Good developer content:
- Defines terms clearly upon first use
- Avoids acronyms without explanation
- Uses consistent terminology throughout
When documenting complex concepts, I've found that starting with an analogy that relates to widely understood programming concepts can be useful. From there, you can transition to more specific terms.
R - Reproducible Workflows
Developers need to understand not just isolated features but complete workflows. Content that connects the dots and shows how components work together in a reproducible process is invaluable.
GitHub's documentation on GitHub Actions demonstrates this principle well, walking developers through complete CI/CD workflows rather than just explaining individual actions in isolation.
Practical Tip: Structure tutorials as complete journeys with clear starting conditions and defined outcomes. Make sure developers can reproduce your examples with minimal setup.
Developer Content as a Product
The most successful companies treat developer content not as a marketing afterthought but as a product in itself that's designed with specific user needs in mind, measured by meaningful metrics, and continuously improved based on feedback.
Developers are among the most demanding content consumers, but also the most loyal when their needs are genuinely met. Great developer content doesn't just support your product, it becomes one of your most valuable assets.
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