DevRel or Developer Advocacy: A Cheat Sheet to Help You Decide Which Role You Need to Hire

Developer Relations Manager and Developer Advocate — while these two roles may seem similar, they have distinct differences in their approach to engaging with developers. After some chats with various companies, I decided to create a short cheat sheet to help companies understand the differences between DevRel and Developer Advocacy, and how to decide which role to hire and when.

While both a Developer Relations Manager and a Developer Advocate are focused on engaging with developer communities, their responsibilities, skills, and focus differ significantly. Companies should carefully consider their needs and goals before deciding which role to hire for.

So what will be more relevant for your company?

If a company is just starting to build a developer community and has no existing relationships with developers and you really care about the engagement, it may make more sense to hire a DevRel first. This person can lay the foundation for a community by identifying and engaging with developers who are interested in the company’s products or services. They can also work on creating a strategy to grow and support the community, which can be beneficial in the long term.

However, if a company already has an established developer community, it may make more sense to hire a Developer Advocate first. This person can help promote the company’s products and services to the existing community and provide support and resources to help developers use those products effectively. This can help to drive adoption and increase engagement with the company’s products or services.

And of course — you can look for a person who will combine these two roles but believe that this is similar to looking for a unicorn. And while it may not be totally impossible, it is certainly very time-consuming and rare.

For more, I suggest to take look at amazing Tessa Kriesel’s article Developer Advocate vs. Developer Relations Leader: Who to Hire First