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

Moving away from pure programming

Geertjan Wielenga: What would you say is the advantage of developer advocacy over spending your life being a pure computer programmer?

Scott Davis: Look, not everyone needs to be an advocate. I've got lots of friends whose real passion is rock climbing or snowboarding. For them, programming is an interesting, exciting, and innovative job, but more importantly, it's a well-paying job; it's something they do as a means to an end.

For me, I've got Alexa at home in several rooms. My family members all have iPads and iPhones. My advocacy, once again, comes from a place of authenticity—this is how we live; we live these digital lives.

My iPad is the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning and it's the last thing I see when I go to bed at night. A device, to me, is not just a computer that you sit down at and walk away from—it's something that you develop a kind of relationship with.

In terms of advocacy, it...