One moment I was observing the ambling movements of an elephant family…

The next they crossed my path and the largest of the herd turned toward me.

Now it was walking straight at me, its gait a little faster. That’s all my guide needed to see. He put our jeep in reverse and quickly retreated.

As he drove, he explained that what we’d seen was a warning. If we hadn’t moved, I might have witnessed an elephant charge.

It wasn’t exactly frightening, but it certainly stuck with me. Somewhere in there, I snapped this shot:

In the bright November spring of South Africa, that elephant became emblazoned in my mind’s eye at a much clearer resolution than that old digital camera could capture. Ask me to describe that elephant and I could tell you about the whole darn thing.

Not so in the famous story of the people who encounter an elephant in the dark. Each of them can only feel one part of the animal—the trunk, a leg, the tail.

Perspective matters, as it did to that elephant, who saw me as a threat.

When you work with developers, you want to keep their perspectives in mind. That’s why we recommend companies that want to reach developers start with DX.

When you know what they want to see—and can avoid the bad mistakes—you have a better chance to engage those you’ve worked so hard to attract.

Want to see some examples and improve your perspective? Join me for an upcoming presentation.

Like that African elephant, there’s no charge.