This is awkward

I’m doing something awkward this year. And I think it will help you reach more developers.

It came out of a moment on stage. I was in Brazil giving a talk at the country’s largest API conference. There were flashing lights and four screens to show my slides to the expansive auditorium.

Check out the photo I took during sound check:

At the time I was working for Zapier with a title that included “Developer Marketing.” The awkward part? My talk was called “Developer Marketing Does Not Exist.”

It’s a little eerie to see that juxtaposition on four giant screens simultaneously.

Since then I’ve gone on to start a developer marketing agency, so clearly I think it exists. My team and I do it every day, with some of the best developer companies in business.

When I said it doesn’t exist, what I meant is far too many get it wrong. They market at developers. And developers are allergic to marketing—or at best highly skeptical.

Still, the optics are off. If this guy thinks developer marketing is a misnomer, why is he a developer marketer?

I could have let what happens in São Paulo stay in São Paulo. You’d never know.

But the awkward thing? I’m publishing a book with the same title.

The way most companies market to developers is not working. The typical tactics fall flat with technical audiences. Developer Marketing Does Not Exist will help anyone better reach developers authentically, even if you are already doing a pretty good job.

I’ve already written the first draft. You can see the table of contents and find out more by clicking over to the book page on EveryDeveloper.

Got a topic you think must be included? Get in touch here.