You’re so vain

It’s Warren Beatty, right?

Carly Simon had a hit in 1972 with “You’re So Vain.” She also started a cultural curiosity.

The chorus repeats:

You’re so vain / You probably think this song is about you.

Since then, people have wondered who the song is about.

And Carly Simon isn’t telling… except for the highest bidder in a charity auction, who was sworn to secrecy.

Actor Warren Beatty and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger (who sings backup vocals on the track!) both think the song is about them.

How’s that for vanity?

It’s probably needed for acting in Hollywood and strutting around arena stages. But it doesn’t serve our developer outreach efforts.

If you’re so vain, you probably:

• Aim for big numbers in everything
• Expect every blog post to hit Hacker News
• Maximize developer reach without thought to who you reach

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In Don’t Practice Vanity-Driven Developer Marketing I cover these common tactics and how you can choose options that will attract more of the right developers in the long run.

Put your Carly Simon hat on (figuratively or literally) and see if you can pinpoint the vanity in your metrics—then reach out to EveryDeveloper for help tracking the right things.