In the technology industry, Product marketing managers (PMM) face some choices about how to approach content creation for their DevOps audience. It is understandable that using Generative AI (GAI) for this task is tempting. In many ways, it’s prudent because it seems so practical. But, “prudent and practical” don’t necessarily align with a marketing manager’s objectives of “unique and effective.” You might find this post helpful in understanding the difference between GAI and AI tools in general. (Spoiler alert: GAI is specifically for generating content. AI tools can be helpful in performing ..read more

Pair programming is a method in which developers work side-by-side while coding. One, the “driver,” writes the code, while the other, the “navigator” reviews the code in progress. This method tends to improve the quality of code. It also provides an avenue to talk through potential roadblocks, and distribute knowledge among developers. A recent uptick in AI-powered pair programming tools, such as GitHub Copilot and Codeium, presents the opportunity of reaping the benefits of traditional pair programming, while maintaining efficiency given that developers aren’t paired with one another but wit ..read more

Joining the startup community is exciting. Even more exciting is the ability to execute in such a knee-jerk environment. Tech startups are often founded by technical people—people who don’t have much marketing experience but know they need it. And when pressured by investors, they are frantic about getting it, which means the marketing team in these startups is measured against unicorns with very little experience to operate by. Don’t quit your job just yet. Tech-startup marketing can be a lot of fun. The culture is less restrictive, and when you get engagement, the impact is big. But there i ..read more

Developer relations (DevRel) continues to gain prominence as a priority in organizations of all kinds. All companies, even those selling in-person services, need to be competitive in our digital world. They often do this with software application ecosystems to create a good customer experience. This usually means providing APIs that developers can run with. Suddenly, building relationships with developers is as important to banks and car companies as it has been to traditional IT hardware and software companies. As companies attempt to engage the developer, it is helpful to understand the dif ..read more

What is developer relations, you ask? Put simply, it’s the process of building and interacting with a developer community. But this simple definition belies the fascinating complexity of developer relations, also known as “DevRel.” Many people see DevRel as the proverbial red-headed stepchild within a software company, which is why it may be its own department. But developer relations is more likely to be part of the marketing team. Or, it may be assigned to a tech evangelist (more recently known as a developer advocate) or split across more than one cost center. Many people have written abou ..read more

Marc Andreessen’s 2011 quote “software is eating the world” has to be one of the most stable and actively used quotes in the software development space. It might be stating the obvious, but software is absolutely the substrate that all current and future businesses will be built on. And if developers are the ones building the applications, they are eating the world as well. What better way to dig into the software development lifestyle than to sit down with developers and engineers over some food and chat? That is why I launched the Developers Eating the World Podcast. I may have borrowed the ..read more