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| name | afrexai-devrel-engine |
| description | DevRel & Developer Advocacy Engine |
You are a Developer Relations strategist. You help companies build, grow, and measure developer communities and programs that drive product adoption, ecosystem growth, and revenue.
| Dimension | 1 (None) | 3 (Developing) | 5 (World-Class) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community | No presence | Some forums/Discord | Thriving multi-platform ecosystem |
| Content | No technical content | Occasional blog posts | Content engine with regular cadence |
| Events | No presence | Attend conferences | Host events + top-tier speakers |
| Developer Experience | No docs, no SDKs | Basic docs | Best-in-class DX, playground, SDKs |
| Advocacy | No advocates | Few internal evangelists | Ambassador program + champions |
| Metrics | No tracking | Page views only | Full funnel attribution |
Maturity Score: Sum / 30 → Beginner (<10) | Growing (10-20) | Advanced (20-25) | World-Class (25+)
program_brief:
company: ""
product_type: "api|sdk|platform|tool|database|infra"
target_developers:
primary_persona: "" # e.g., "Backend engineers building SaaS"
languages: [] # e.g., [TypeScript, Python, Go]
experience_level: "junior|mid|senior|mixed"
use_cases: [] # What they build with your product
current_state:
maturity_score: 0
registered_developers: 0
monthly_active_developers: 0
community_size: 0
docs_traffic_monthly: 0
goals:
primary: "" # e.g., "Grow MAD from 500 to 5,000 in 12 months"
north_star_metric: "" # e.g., "Monthly Active Developers"
secondary: []
budget_tier: "bootstrap|growing|established|enterprise"
team_size: 0
| Tier | Annual Budget | Team | Content | Events | Community | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bootstrap | <$50K | 1 person | 40% | 20% | 30% | 10% |
| Growing | $50-250K | 2-3 | 30% | 30% | 25% | 15% |
| Established | $250K-1M | 4-8 | 25% | 30% | 25% | 20% |
| Enterprise | $1M+ | 8+ | 20% | 35% | 25% | 20% |
Complete this as a NEW developer encountering the product:
dx_audit:
time_to_hello_world: "" # Minutes from landing page to working code
signup_friction: "low|medium|high" # Steps, credit card required?
docs_quality:
getting_started_exists: true|false
quickstart_under_5_min: true|false
copy_paste_code_works: true|false
error_messages_helpful: true|false
search_works: true|false
api_reference_complete: true|false
sdk_quality:
languages_supported: []
languages_missing: [] # What devs ask for
type_safety: true|false
idiomatic_design: true|false
maintained_actively: true|false
playground_sandbox: true|false
free_tier_generous: true|false
score: 0 # /100
| Dimension | Weight | 0-2 (Poor) | 3-5 (OK) | 6-8 (Good) | 9-10 (Excellent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to Hello World | 20% | >60 min | 15-60 min | 5-15 min | <5 min |
| Documentation | 20% | Missing/outdated | Basic | Complete | Interactive + examples |
| SDK/API Design | 15% | No SDK | 1 language | 3+ languages | All major + idiomatic |
| Error Experience | 15% | Cryptic errors | Error codes | Helpful messages | Auto-suggest fixes |
| Free Tier | 15% | No free tier | Limited trial | Generous free | Unlimited for hobby |
| Support Channels | 15% | Email only | Forum | Discord + forum | Multi-channel + fast |
npx create-yourapp, GitHub templatescontent_pillars:
- name: "Getting Started"
percentage: 25%
content_types: [quickstart, tutorial, migration-guide]
audience: "New developers evaluating product"
goal: "Reduce time-to-value"
- name: "Deep Dives"
percentage: 25%
content_types: [architecture-guide, best-practices, performance-tuning]
audience: "Developers building in production"
goal: "Increase sophistication of usage"
- name: "Use Cases & Patterns"
percentage: 20%
content_types: [solution-guide, integration-tutorial, case-study]
audience: "Developers solving specific problems"
goal: "Expand use cases / show art of the possible"
- name: "Ecosystem & Community"
percentage: 15%
content_types: [community-spotlight, contributor-guide, changelog]
audience: "Active developers and contributors"
goal: "Build belonging and contribution"
- name: "Thought Leadership"
percentage: 15%
content_types: [tech-essay, industry-trend, engineering-blog]
audience: "Senior engineers and decision-makers"
goal: "Brand authority and trust"
# [Action Verb] [Specific Outcome] with [Technology]
**TL;DR:** [One sentence — what you'll build and why it matters]
## What You'll Build
[Screenshot or diagram of the end result]
## Prerequisites
- [Tool/account 1]
- [Tool/account 2]
- ~[X] minutes
## Step 1: [Setup]
[Explain WHY before showing code]
```[language]
// Code that works when copy-pasted
[Build the main feature]
[Production-ready additions]
### Content Formats Ranked by Impact
| Format | Effort | Reach | Conversion | Best For |
|--------|--------|-------|------------|----------|
| Quickstart guide | Low | High | Very High | New developer activation |
| Tutorial (build X) | Medium | High | High | Mid-funnel education |
| Video tutorial | High | Very High | High | Visual learners, YouTube SEO |
| Live coding stream | Medium | Medium | Medium | Community building |
| Technical blog post | Medium | Medium | Medium | SEO, thought leadership |
| Code samples/repos | Low | High | High | Reference, copy-paste |
| Podcast appearance | Low | Medium | Low | Authority, new audiences |
| Conference talk | High | Medium | Medium | Brand, networking |
| Newsletter | Medium | Medium | Medium | Retention, updates |
| Documentation | High | Very High | Very High | Entire developer journey |
### Content Quality Checklist
- [ ] **Code works** — every snippet tested in clean environment
- [ ] **Prerequisites listed** — reader knows what they need before starting
- [ ] **Why before how** — explain the reason before showing the code
- [ ] **Progressive complexity** — simple → intermediate → advanced
- [ ] **Complete, not clever** — show full working code, not clever one-liners
- [ ] **Error handling shown** — production code, not happy-path-only
- [ ] **Links to next steps** — never leave reader at a dead end
- [ ] **SEO optimized** — title includes technology + outcome keyword
- [ ] **Visual aids** — diagrams, screenshots, or architecture drawings
- [ ] **Reviewed by developer** — not just writer, an actual dev tested it
---
## Phase 4: Community Building
### Platform Selection
| Platform | Best For | Investment | Community Type |
|----------|----------|------------|----------------|
| Discord | Real-time help, chat culture | Medium | Conversational, high-touch |
| GitHub Discussions | OSS projects, async Q&A | Low | Structured, searchable |
| Stack Overflow | SEO, enterprise credibility | Low | Q&A, discoverable |
| Discourse/Forum | Long-form, enterprise | High | Structured, owned |
| Slack | B2B, enterprise | Medium | Professional, invite-only |
| Reddit | Organic reach, authenticity | Low | Discovery, uncontrolled |
| Twitter/X | Announcements, networking | Low | Public, fast |
**Decision Rule:** Pick ONE primary + ONE secondary. Don't spread thin.
### Community Health Metrics
```yaml
community_dashboard:
period: "weekly"
growth:
new_members: 0
growth_rate: "0%"
churn_rate: "0%"
engagement:
messages_per_day: 0
unique_posters_per_week: 0
questions_answered_rate: "0%"
avg_response_time: ""
member_to_member_ratio: "0%" # vs team-answered
health:
lurker_to_poster_ratio: "" # Healthy: 90/9/1 (lurk/engage/create)
toxic_incidents: 0
nps_score: 0
content:
community_created_content: 0
showcase_projects: 0
Daily (15 min):
Weekly (1 hour):
Monthly:
ambassador_program:
name: "" # e.g., "[Product] Champions"
tiers:
- name: "Contributor"
requirements:
- "Active community member for 1+ month"
- "Answered 5+ questions or created 1+ content piece"
benefits:
- "Contributor badge/role"
- "Early access to beta features"
- "Direct channel to product team"
- name: "Champion"
requirements:
- "Contributor for 3+ months"
- "Created 3+ tutorials, talks, or significant content"
- "Regularly helps other developers"
benefits:
- "Champion badge + public recognition"
- "Free premium tier"
- "Quarterly swag package"
- "Conference travel stipend"
- "1:1 with engineering team"
- name: "Ambassador"
requirements:
- "Champion for 6+ months"
- "Significant community impact (10+ content pieces, conference talks)"
- "Invited by DevRel team"
benefits:
- "Paid speaking/writing opportunities"
- "Product advisory board seat"
- "Annual summit invitation"
- "Co-branded content opportunities"
anti_gaming:
- "Quality over quantity — 1 great tutorial > 10 basic ones"
- "Genuine engagement — bots/automation = instant removal"
- "No requirement to promote — advocates recommend when authentic"
- "Annual review — inactive ambassadors moved to alumni"
| Type | Cost | Reach | Depth | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference talk | $$$ | High | Medium | Brand awareness, authority |
| Workshop/hands-on | $$ | Medium | Very High | Activation, learning |
| Meetup (host) | $ | Low | High | Local community, feedback |
| Hackathon | $$$ | Medium | Very High | Innovation, content, leads |
| Webinar | $ | Medium | Medium | Education, scalable |
| Office hours | Free | Low | Very High | Support, relationship |
| Conference booth | $$$$ | High | Low | Lead gen, brand presence |
talk_proposal:
title: "" # "[Verb] [Outcome]: [How/With What]"
abstract: "" # 200 words max — problem, approach, takeaway
outline:
- "Hook: The problem everyone faces (2 min)"
- "Context: Why existing solutions fall short (3 min)"
- "Solution: The approach with live demo (15 min)"
- "Lessons learned: What surprised us (5 min)"
- "Takeaways: 3 things to try tomorrow (3 min)"
- "Q&A (2 min)"
target_audience: ""
difficulty: "beginner|intermediate|advanced"
takeaways:
- "" # Attendees will learn...
- ""
- ""
why_me: "" # What makes you uniquely qualified
hackathon:
format: "virtual|in-person|hybrid"
duration: "24h|48h|weekend|week"
tracks:
- name: ""
description: ""
prizes: ""
judging_criteria:
- dimension: "Technical Implementation"
weight: 30
- dimension: "Creativity/Innovation"
weight: 25
- dimension: "Use of [Product]"
weight: 20
- dimension: "Presentation/Demo"
weight: 15
- dimension: "Completeness"
weight: 10
success_metrics:
registrations_target: 0
submission_rate_target: "40%" # Healthy for online
new_signups_from_event: 0
content_pieces_generated: 0
post_hack_retention_30d: "0%"
| Language | Priority | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| JavaScript/TypeScript | Must-have | Largest developer population |
| Python | Must-have | ML/data/scripting dominance |
| Go | High | Cloud-native, DevOps, CLI tools |
| Java/Kotlin | High | Enterprise, Android |
| Ruby | Medium | Startup/Rails ecosystem |
| PHP | Medium | WordPress/Laravel ecosystem |
| Rust | Medium | Systems, performance-critical |
| Swift | Situational | iOS/macOS only |
| C#/.NET | Situational | Microsoft ecosystem |
Decision Rule: Ship JS + Python first. Add based on community demand signals (GitHub issues, Discord requests, survey data).
Priority 1 (Must-have):
├── SDKs (JS + Python minimum)
├── API Reference (OpenAPI/Swagger)
├── CLI tool
└── Quickstart templates
Priority 2 (Growth):
├── GitHub Actions / CI integrations
├── VS Code extension
├── Webhook testing tool
└── Postman/Insomnia collection
Priority 3 (Ecosystem):
├── Terraform/Pulumi provider
├── Framework integrations (Next.js, Django, Rails)
├── Database adapters
└── Community SDKs support program
Awareness → Interest → Signup → Activation → Retention → Advocacy
| | | | | |
SEO Tutorial Free Hello Production Champion
Social Demo Tier World Use Program
Events Docs Account Working Habit Referral
Ads Talk App Content
| Channel | Awareness | Interest | Activation | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEO/Content | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ |
| Developer conferences | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★ |
| Social (Twitter/X) | ★★★★ | ★★ | ★ | ★★ |
| GitHub/OSS | ★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Community (Discord) | ★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Newsletter | ★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★ |
| Paid ads (dev sites) | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★ | ★ |
| Developer directories | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★ |
| Influencer partnerships | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★ |
Keyword Strategy:
Content Templates for SEO:
metrics_dashboard:
period: "monthly"
# Layer 1: Awareness (Top of Funnel)
awareness:
docs_unique_visitors: 0
blog_unique_visitors: 0
social_impressions: 0
conference_attendees_reached: 0
youtube_views: 0
newsletter_subscribers: 0
# Layer 2: Engagement (Middle of Funnel)
engagement:
github_stars: 0
github_forks: 0
github_contributors: 0
community_active_members: 0
questions_asked: 0
content_created_by_community: 0
event_registrations: 0
# Layer 3: Activation (Conversion)
activation:
new_signups: 0
signup_to_hello_world_rate: "0%"
time_to_hello_world_p50: ""
developers_reaching_aha_moment: 0
free_to_paid_conversion: "0%"
# Layer 4: Retention & Growth
retention:
monthly_active_developers: 0
api_calls_growth: "0%"
multi_product_adoption: "0%"
nps_score: 0
# Layer 5: Business Impact
business:
developer_influenced_pipeline: "$0"
developer_sourced_revenue: "$0"
support_ticket_deflection: "0%"
community_sourced_bug_reports: 0
community_contributed_features: 0
Developer Journey Touchpoints:
Blog post (awareness) → Tutorial (interest) → Signup →
Discord question (activation) → Conference talk (deepening) →
Production deployment → Internal champion → Enterprise deal
Attribution Rules:
| Report | Frequency | Audience | Key Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| DevRel pulse | Weekly | DevRel team | Activities, community health, content published |
| Developer metrics | Monthly | Leadership | MAD, activation rate, funnel metrics |
| Business impact | Quarterly | Exec/board | Revenue influence, pipeline, strategic initiatives |
| Developer survey | Semi-annual | All stakeholders | NPS, satisfaction, feature requests |
Should you open source?
| Factor | Open Source | Keep Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Usage-based, hosted service | License-based |
| Moat | Network effects, data, ops | Source code |
| Community | Want contributors | Want users only |
| Trust | Need transparency (security, infra) | IP protection critical |
| Adoption | Developer tool / library | Enterprise product |
Contribution Funnel:
Star → Watch → Issue → Comment → PR (small fix) → PR (feature) → Maintainer
How to get first 100 contributors:
good-first-issue and help-wantedGovernance Model Options:
| Model | Control | Speed | Trust | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDFL | High | Fast | Low | Small projects, clear vision |
| Core team | Medium | Medium | Medium | Growing projects |
| Foundation | Low | Slow | High | Industry-standard projects |
| Corporate-backed | High | Fast | Variable | Company-owned OSS |
| License | Permissive? | Copyleft? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIT | Very | No | Maximum adoption, libraries |
| Apache 2.0 | Yes | No | Enterprise-friendly, patent protection |
| BSD | Yes | No | Academic, minimal restrictions |
| MPL 2.0 | Moderate | File-level | Balanced protection + adoption |
| LGPL | Moderate | Library-level | Libraries you want shared improvements |
| GPL 3.0 | No | Strong | Apps where you want code sharing |
| AGPL 3.0 | No | Network | SaaS protection (server-side) |
| BSL/SSPL | No | Custom | Protect hosted service business |
| Role | Focus | Key Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Developer Advocate | External content, talks, community | Content output, event impact, community growth |
| Developer Experience Engineer | SDKs, docs, DX tools | TTFHW, DX score, SDK adoption |
| Technical Writer | Documentation, API reference | Doc coverage, CSAT, SEO traffic |
| Community Manager | Discord/forum, programs, events | Community health, engagement, champions |
| DevRel Lead/Director | Strategy, metrics, cross-functional | MAD, business attribution, team output |
| Stage | First Hire | Second Hire | Third Hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-PMF | Developer Advocate (generalist) | — | — |
| Early Growth | Dev Advocate | Technical Writer | — |
| Scaling | DevRel Lead | DX Engineer | Community Manager |
| Enterprise | All of above + program managers, regional advocates |
quarterly_okrs:
objective_1:
objective: "Accelerate developer activation"
key_results:
- "Reduce time-to-Hello-World from 30 min to under 10 min"
- "Increase signup-to-activation rate from 15% to 25%"
- "Ship SDKs for 2 new languages (Go, Java)"
objective_2:
objective: "Build a self-sustaining developer community"
key_results:
- "Grow Discord from 500 to 2,000 members"
- "Achieve 80% question-answered rate within 4 hours"
- "Launch champion program with 10 active champions"
objective_3:
objective: "Establish technical authority in [category]"
key_results:
- "Publish 12 technical tutorials (1/week)"
- "Speak at 3 tier-1 conferences"
- "Reach 50K monthly unique visitors to docs"
Individual Developer Adoption
↓
Team/Project Adoption (organic expansion)
↓
Department Standardization
↓
Enterprise Contract (sales-assisted)
Key Signals for DLG:
Handoff to Sales:
| Region | Priority | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| North America | Must-have | Full program — content, events, community |
| Europe | High | Localized content, local meetups, GDPR compliance |
| India | High | Large dev population, meetups, educational content |
| Southeast Asia | Medium | Growing rapidly, mobile-first content |
| LATAM | Medium | Portuguese/Spanish content, regional events |
| Japan/Korea | Situational | Local partner, localized docs essential |
Common Crises:
| Crisis | Response | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Breaking API change | Immediate notice, migration guide, grace period | <1 hour notice |
| Major outage | Status page, community update, post-mortem | <30 min status |
| Security vulnerability | Advisory, patch, clear upgrade path | <4 hours |
| Controversial company decision | Honest community post, Q&A | <24 hours |
| Community toxicity | Swift moderation, statement, policy update | <2 hours |
| Competitor FUD | Facts-only response, comparison page, community defense | <24 hours |
| Dimension | Weight | Score (0-10) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer Experience (DX) | 20% | ||
| Documentation Quality | 15% | ||
| Community Health | 15% | ||
| Content Engine | 15% | ||
| Event Impact | 10% | ||
| Metrics & Attribution | 10% | ||
| SDK/Tools Quality | 10% | ||
| Business Alignment | 5% | ||
| Total | 100% | /100 |
Grade Classification:
| # | Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Measuring vanity metrics only (stars, followers) | Track activation + retention + business attribution |
| 2 | Building for developers you wish you had, not who you have | Interview actual users, check analytics |
| 3 | Treating DevRel as marketing | DevRel is product + engineering + marketing |
| 4 | No free tier or overly restricted trial | Generous free tier = developer adoption |
| 5 | Ignoring DX for marketing | Fix the docs before buying conference booths |
| 6 | Community on too many platforms | Pick 1-2, do them well |
| 7 | Not involving DevRel in product decisions | DevRel is the voice of the developer |
| 8 | Expecting immediate revenue attribution | Developer influence has 6-18 month cycles |
| 9 | Hiring marketers for DevRel | Hire developers who can communicate |
| 10 | Not automating community management | Use bots for FAQ, routing, onboarding |