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

Getting leads from conferences

Yakov Fain: Yes, in some cases, although it may not be immediate: it may happen in a year or even two. Somebody might send me a message saying, "Two years ago you were doing a so-and-so presentation and we spoke for a minute." I may or may not remember that guy, but that presentation and short conversation could turn into a project.

You have to do a lot of talks and not only at conferences. I also organized the Java User Group (JUG) in Princeton, New Jersey. From that JUG, I got some consulting projects.

Geertjan Wielenga: Have the topics of your talks changed in the last few years?

Yakov Fain: They have changed substantially. For many years, I was doing mainly Java and everything related to Java. It was as if I could only speak one language. I can actually speak English, Russian, and Ukrainian. That has opened up information streams, along with entertainment, movies, articles, news, and audio books; it's great.

"It's not...