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

Tips for new starters

Geertjan Wielenga: Anyone reading this interview is inevitably going to want to know how to be just like you. What tips would you give somebody who wants to enter into this field?

Laurence Moroney: The number one thing that you need is passion. I think developer advocacy has to be something that you really love. It's not the kind of thing that means you can sit down and think that you will earn so much money if you do this or that. With that mindset, you just won't be good at it and you won't enjoy it.

Beyond passion, you need to be knowledgeable. You need to really understand the tech in depth. Finally, you need to be compassionate. You need to be able to walk a mile in someone's shoes so you can understand where they're coming from.

In practical terms, if you're not working for a big company, then get involved in tech communities and become a star in those communities. If you have those three attributes, that will just happen. When...