I wish to handle the subject of being a Developer Advocate. A number of individuals in my space of the tech trade now maintain the title of “Developer Advocate”. I’ve no drawback with that title, and this submit means no disrespect to anybody with that title (lots of them are my buddies). Nevertheless, I’m curious as to what it actually means to be one. Then I ponder if I can apply that title to what I do for a dwelling.
What’s a Developer Advocate?
I not too long ago seemed up the phrase “advocate” on-line. It’s outlined as “an individual who publicly helps or recommends a specific trigger or coverage.” At face worth, that is somebody who’s actively engaged in supporting builders and their pursuits at corporations. I assume which means enabling them and serving to them do their greatest, be their greatest, make their work simpler or extra environment friendly, and hopefully extra gratifying. Is that appropriate? I can see the necessity to have somebody in place for the builders. I’m undoubtedly not saying they aren’t wanted. They’re.
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DevRel was began by builders, nevertheless it has expanded to incorporate different roles, however the title nonetheless stays.
Rejected as a DevRel
I not too long ago discovered a few fashionable Slack channel made up of DevRel professionals beneficial to me by a number of of my friends. My parody movies had been shared on the channel and obtained a really optimistic response. I made a decision to use to the channel myself to get related with the group. After a number of weeks of ready and questioning, I obtained a rejection e mail:
“Primarily based on the outline you left, it doesn’t look like you’re actively working as a Developer Advocate or Technical Neighborhood Skilled.”
My description was primarily based on the precise issues I do on-line round software program engineering matters and efficiency engineering and observability. I figured if load testing corporations have DevRel individuals within the group, I would slot in. Maybe my description was not what they had been on the lookout for. Maybe they’re proper. Perhaps I’m not a Developer Advocate. Or perhaps that title is simply not useful as a result of much more roles want advocacy. That obtained me questioning – what am I?
The Efficiency Advocate
Maybe I’m simply being a fish swimming upstream, however I feel builders have sufficient advocates supporting them in the present day. I’ve skilled builders who push causes and insurance policies that I can’t help – those who end in poor performing purposes, grossly inefficient techniques, or a horrible finish consumer expertise – all for the sake of “adequate being adequate”. I’ll proceed to be an advocate for the Efficiency Engineers to help the causes and insurance policies that end in higher software program and fewer technical debt. I do know, I do know – all of us say that everybody (together with builders) need that. Nevertheless, I’ve not skilled that self-discipline en masse from the developer group like I’ve from the efficiency group. I desire a relationship with the developer, however I advocate for the efficiency engineer.
I used to be not too long ago instructed by somebody, “We’re ALL builders”. I’ve to respectfully disagree. I’ll write code right here and there, however that doesn’t make me a developer any greater than calling me a automotive as a result of I’m in a storage. I like the developer, however I’ll by no means be considered one of them. I would like the developer to achieve success, however not on the expense of shedding the beliefs and disciplines I advocate for, which can be completely different from theirs. It doesn’t must be an “us versus them” state of affairs, however there should be a stability within the ecosystem. Subsequently, I stay the Efficiency Advocate, to deliver that stability. Perhaps I’m silly, misdirected, uninformed, loopy, or all the above.
The Want For Specialization
What about areas the place specialization is required – like efficiency engineering? I see Developer Advocate titles in load testing vendor corporations. Does this assume that primarily builders are doing the vast majority of load testing? For my part, that’s not solely incorrect, however whether it is proper, it isn’t a superb factor. Builders shifting load testing left is an effective factor, however it isn’t the one factor and positively not a substitute for all efficiency testing that should happen. What about different elements of the software program lifecycle outdoors of growing code? Doesn’t there should be a minimum of a couple of advocates for the Efficiency Engineers, System Engineers, and many others? Ought to all people be lumped into the Developer class?
The identical individuals who have been telling me for the final 5 years that builders CAN make good testers, and SRE’s CAN code and take a look at and deal with efficiency and safety, and, and and…. these are the identical individuals now speaking about burn out charges and the necessity for platform engineering to alleviate cognitive overload.
A good worse consequence I’m seeing available in the market is the lack of elementary ability units and the lacking context of issues that must be recognized earlier than ever making an attempt to optimize a system. Add to this the shortage of BUSINESS context, and also you simply have a gaggle of loosely coupled individuals placing collectively loosely coupled techniques primarily based on fuzzy necessities – after which we marvel why the top end result doesn’t make finish customers glad. By making specialised expertise units a commodity, it lowers the competency and in the end the product suffers in a number of methods: technical debt, poor finish consumer expertise, increased help prices. General, this results in a nasty fame – which you’ll be able to’t put a worth on.