DevRel Weekly - Issue 138 - Saying No, Tips and Tricks, and Getting Back to Basics

Welcome! 👋

These are busy times, friends! Everyone I talk to is bordering on overwhelm, juggling all sorts of projects, and still trying to survive the mental, emotional, and physical toll of the pandemic as well as various political climates. Be sure to take some time to rest, recover, and recuperate this weekend.

After all, if you aren't taking care of yourself, you can't take care of your community as effectively as you'd like to!

Best,
Mary (@mary_grace)
DevRel Weekly Patreon

Tidbits 🕔

How to Start Doing DevRel Right Now

I get asked all the time how someone can take DevRel for a "test drive" before making the switch to a new career. This thread from Sam Julien hits the nail on the head!

Don't Be Afraid to Say No

What you tolerate in your community says more about your community than what you don't.

Be mindful of edgelords and slippery slope scenarios — oftentimes what you think is one-off, isn't.

Come ready to listen, empathize and understand.

Don't be afraid of the word "no."

-Erin Mikail Staples

Tangibles 🤓

A Guide To Technical Writing: Dos & Don'ts

If you're a newbie to technical writing, I highly recommend this article from Olamide Makinde. In it, she covers the foundation of technical writing in addition to her go-to list of dos and don'ts.

Developer Research 101: The right methodology for reliable survey data

If you plan to create a community survey in the near future, don't miss this comprehensive resource from SlashData. Senior Director of Research, Christina Voskoglou, gives us a run-down of the right questions to ask (and how to ask them) as well as a cheat sheet if you want the TL;DR.

One Year in DevRel

Every few weeks, a blogpost by someone reflecting on their experience in DevRel comes through my RSS feeds, and I'll admit that while I read them (and often enjoy them!), they usually get filed with the tag my story and archived for data purposes, but not referenced in the newsletter. I'm making an exception for this post from Anne McCarthy, however, because the tips that she shares are applicable to anyone in the DevRel industry.

Storytime 📚

DevRel Podcasts and Videos

Successful Open Source Communities with Ian Tien - Technically True
The Business of Community with David Spinks - Precious on Community
Online Community Platforms with Noele Flowers & Jono Bacon - Community Pulse
Powering through Loneliness with Adam Smiley Poswolsky - Masters of Community
All About DevRel with Jessica Rose - Anonymous

Events 📆

DevRel Events

Conferences, meetups, and webinars, oh my! Check out this list for a bunch of upcoming events you don't want to miss!

Jobs 👩‍💻

Chief Community Officer

The Chief Community Officer will define and lead all community-building efforts for Port and our other growth initiatives. This role encompasses community strategy, community building, marketing and partnership outreach efforts and is responsible for growing, engaging and retaining our members. You would be one of the key public faces of the Port. You’ll be given a lot of control and the ability to contribute to the direction of the company.

Content Manager

LogDNA is looking for a collaborative Content Manager to write and edit content about logging, DevOps, Kubernetes, and more. Not looking for a full-time gig but want to contribute content? Reach out, we’d love to work with you!

Developer Advocate

StackHawk is a developer-first application security company, helping teams automate security testing in CI/CD. Join the team as a Developer Advocate to write, speak, and engage with the community on automated application security testing. Drop us a line at [email protected]!

Jobs 👩‍💻

DevRel Jobs

Looking for a new gig? Check out a variety of DevRel-related jobs, from Developer Advocate Intern to Chief Community Officer.