Book Image

Developer, Advocate!

By : Geertjan Wielenga
Book Image

Developer, Advocate!

By: Geertjan Wielenga

Overview of this book

What exactly is a developer advocate, and how do they connect developers and companies around the world? Why is the area of developer relations set to explode? Can anybody with a passion for tech become a developer advocate? What are the keys to success on a global scale? How does a developer advocate maintain authenticity when balancing the needs of their company and their tech community? What are the hot topics in areas including Java, JavaScript, "tech for good," artificial intelligence, blockchain, the cloud, and open source? These are just a few of the questions addressed by developer advocate and author Geertjan Wielenga in Developer, Advocate!. 32 of the industry's most prominent developer advocates, from companies including Oracle, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, open up about what it's like to turn a lifelong passion for knowledge sharing about tech into a rewarding career. These advocates run the gamut from working at large software vendors to small start-ups, along with independent developer advocates who work within organizations or for themselves. In Developer, Advocate!, readers will see how developer advocates are actively changing the world, not only for developers, but for individuals and companies navigating the fast-changing tech landscape. More importantly, Developer, Advocate! serves as a rallying cry to inspire and motivate tech enthusiasts and burgeoning developer advocates to get started and take their first steps within their tech community.
Table of Contents (36 chapters)
34
Other Books You May Enjoy
35
Index
36
Packt

Jennifer's introduction to advocacy

Jennifer Reif: Actually, it was when my dad, Mark Heckler, became a developer advocate at Pivotal. That was how I became familiar with what developer advocacy is. He talked about and demonstrated what he did on a daily basis.

I enjoy putting together demos and working on code, but then I also like the organizational aspect, speaking, and sharing information with other developers. So, I thought that type of role would fit really well with the things I like to do, as well as some of my strengths.

I found out that my dad was connected via Twitter with Ryan Boyd, and Neo4j had an opening for what I wanted to do. Ryan and I pinged back and forth on Twitter, then we went to Skype and Google Hangouts as part of an informal interview process. I met Ryan and talked to several members of the team I would be working on. After that, I had an official interview with some of the high-level staff. Then I got hired and I started in late February 2018.

Geertjan...