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: What’s the Difference?
Developer Advocates and Technical Evangelists both connect companies with developers, but they have distinct roles:
Developer Advocates:
- Focus on helping developers use products effectively
- Create tutorials, docs, and solve problems
- Gather user feedback for product teams
- Build and nurture developer communities
Technical Evangelists:
- Promote platforms and boost brand awareness
- Give talks and create marketing content
- Showcase products in demos and webinars
- Build relationships with other organizations
Quick Comparison:
| Aspect | Developer Advocates | Technical Evangelists |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Help developers succeed | Promote products/platforms |
| Communication | Two-way | One-way |
| Audience | Current users | Wider audience |
| Feedback | Gather and relay | Less emphasis |
| Product involvement | Higher | Lower |
| Team placement | Often Engineering | Usually Marketing |
Both roles need strong tech skills and communication abilities. They’re becoming more important as companies focus on developer relations and community building.
Key trends shaping these roles:
- AI integration in development
- Increased online engagement
- Closer alignment with business goals
- Specialization within DevRel
As the tech landscape evolves, these roles will continue to adapt and bridge the gap between developers and companies.
2. What These Roles Do
Developer Advocates and Technical Evangelists connect companies with developers. Here’s what they do:
2.1 Developer Advocates
Developer Advocates help developers win with a company’s tech. They:
- Create tutorials, blogs, and videos
- Speak at conferences and run workshops
- Gather developer feedback for product teams
- Help devs fix problems
- Build online communities
Joel Lord from MongoDB puts it this way:
“A developer advocate is really there to act as the liaison between the developers that are using the product and the product team that is building the solution.”
2.2 Technical Evangelists
Technical Evangelists promote platforms and boost brand awareness. They:
- Give talks at events
- Write articles and create marketing stuff
- Show off products in webinars and demos
- Build relationships with other orgs and projects
- Boost the company’s tech community presence
Jennifer Hooper from Armory explains:
“Developer Evangelism is outward facing – it is evangelizing and promoting your offerings to developers.”
Take Timo Elliot, SAP‘s global innovation evangelist. He speaks at up to 40 conferences yearly, pumps out over 100 blog posts, and chats with press and analysts to push digital transformation.
Both roles create content and talk to developers. The difference? Developer Advocates help devs use products well, while Technical Evangelists aim to get more people using the product and boost the brand.
3. How the Roles Compare
Developer Advocates and Technical Evangelists connect companies with developers differently. Here’s how they stack up:
3.1 Main Goals and Methods
Developer Advocates focus on two-way communication, while Technical Evangelists prioritize outreach.
| Developer Advocates | Technical Evangelists |
|---|---|
| Create tutorials and docs | Give talks at events |
| Gather user feedback | Write marketing content |
| Solve dev problems | Run product demos |
| Build online communities | Boost brand awareness |
3.2 Who They Talk To
Developer Advocates mainly work with current users. Technical Evangelists target a wider audience, including potential users.
At MongoDB, Developer Advocates like Joel Lord hang out in user forums, answering questions and collecting feedback. Technical Evangelists hit industry conferences, introducing MongoDB to new developers.
3.3 How Success is Measured
These roles use different metrics:
| Developer Advocates | Technical Evangelists |
|---|---|
| Community growth | Adoption rates |
| Forum engagement | New sign-ups |
| Support ticket reduction | Brand mentions |
| Developer satisfaction | Event attendance |
Dion Almaer, Developer Advocate at Google, says:
“The more radical the idea, maybe the more evangelism needs to be done.”
This shows how Technical Evangelists often push new or complex concepts, while Developer Advocates support existing users.
Brad Neuberg, a Technical Evangelist, adds:
“If you are in sales they will completely discount what you have to say; however, if they see you as a fellow engineer and respect your technical ability because you’ve proven yourself they will listen to you much more.”
Both roles need technical cred, but it’s CRUCIAL for Developer Advocates to earn their community’s trust.
Rey Bango, a Developer Relations expert, points out a tricky part:
“The pointy-haired guy wants hard numbers for something that’s more of a soft skill.”
It’s tough to measure Developer Advocates’ impact. They deal with fuzzy metrics like community vibes and engagement quality.
4. Main Differences
Developer Advocates and Technical Evangelists connect companies with developers differently. Here’s how:
4.1 How They Communicate
Developer Advocates chat with developers. Technical Evangelists promote to them.
| Developer Advocates | Technical Evangelists |
|---|---|
| Talk on forums and social media | Speak at conferences |
| Run Q&As | Make marketing content |
| Write how-tos | Show off products |
| Join community events | Write promo blog posts |
Jennifer Hooper from Armory says:
“Developer Evangelism is outward facing – it is evangelizing and promoting your offerings to developers.”
4.2 Product Involvement
Developer Advocates get hands-on with products. Technical Evangelists showcase features.
| Developer Advocates | Technical Evangelists |
|---|---|
| Help shape product plans | Highlight key features |
| Try new features | Create product overviews |
| Flag bugs | Develop marketing use cases |
| Suggest improvements | Focus on product benefits |
Jason St-Cyr from Sitecore explains:
“We use Developer Advocacy to refer to people specifically focused on connecting 1:1 with the community, gathering feedback, being the first customer, building out helpful content.”
4.3 Handling Feedback
Developer Advocates use feedback to improve products. Technical Evangelists don’t focus on product changes.
| Developer Advocates | Technical Evangelists |
|---|---|
| Create user feedback loops | Gather market insights |
| Report issues to product teams | Focus on product positives |
| Push for user-requested features | Address concerns in presentations |
| Do user research | Collect feedback at events |
Nick Ali from Tatum points out:
“Advocates who support various online channels, writing tutorials, guides, and starter templates, collect feedback for our developers.”
5. What They Have in Common
Developer Advocates and Technical Evangelists share key traits. Here’s what unites these tech communicators:
5.1 Technical Skills and Content
Both roles need strong tech know-how and the ability to create engaging content. Here’s how they overlap:
| Shared Skills | Examples |
|---|---|
| Tech expertise | Coding, software architecture, cloud platforms |
| Content creation | Blog posts, tutorials, docs |
| Public speaking | Conferences, webinars, meetups |
| Community engagement | Forums, social media, dev events |
Tech knowledge: Both roles need to grasp complex concepts and explain them clearly.
“You want a geek who loves tech and can do serious engineering, but who can also present to people and work with others.” – Brad Neuberg, Technical Evangelist
Content creation: A big part of both jobs is making helpful resources for developers. This includes:
- Writing tutorials
- Creating docs
- Producing videos
- Crafting blog posts
The 2020 State of Developer Relations survey found that 61% of DevRel pros spend most of their time on content development.
Public speaking: Both often speak at events. They might:
- Give talks at conferences
- Host webinars
- Lead workshops
Community focus: Both roles put the developer community first. They listen to feedback, answer questions, and build relationships.
“Advocating via code is often the best path to a developer’s heart.” – Dion Almaer, Developer Advocate at Google
While their methods may differ, both aim to help developers succeed with their company’s tech. They bridge the gap between the company and the developer community, using their skills to make complex ideas simple and engaging.
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6. Required Skills
6.1 Developer Advocates
Developer Advocates need a mix of tech skills and people skills. Here’s what they need:
- Code in multiple languages
- Solve problems quickly
- Build developer communities
- Create content (blogs, tutorials, videos)
- Speak at events
Mary Thengvall, author of “The Business Value of Developer Relations”, puts it this way:
“Developer Advocates need to be technical enough to gain the respect of developers, but also able to translate complex concepts into simple terms for various audiences.”
6.2 Technical Evangelists
Technical Evangelists focus more on promotion. Their key skills:
- Explain tech simply
- Market to developers
- Understand product features
- Network with developers and leaders
- Plan outreach programs
Christian Heilmann, Principal Technical Evangelist at Mozilla, says:
“A developer evangelist is first and foremost a translator. Someone who can explain technology to different audiences to get their support for a certain product or technology.”
Both roles share some common ground:
| Skill | Developer Advocate | Technical Evangelist |
|---|---|---|
| Tech knowledge | Deep | Broad |
| Communication | Strong | Excellent |
| Community work | High | Moderate |
| Marketing | Moderate | High |
| Content creation | Extensive | Focused |
Want to improve these skills? Try these:
1. Take coding courses or bootcamps
2. Go to developer meetups and conferences
3. Start a tech blog or YouTube channel
4. Speak at local tech events
5. Help with open-source projects
7. Effects on Developer Relations
Developer Advocates and Technical Evangelists shape how companies connect with developers and build tech communities.
7.1 Working Together
When Advocates and Evangelists team up, they:
- Build stronger developer communities
- Improve product feedback loops
- Boost developer adoption
Here’s how their combined efforts impact developer relations:
| Aspect | Impact |
|---|---|
| Community | Advocates foster connections, Evangelists spread the word |
| Product | Advocates gather feedback, Evangelists promote features |
| Education | Advocates create tutorials, Evangelists give overviews |
| Events | Advocates run workshops, Evangelists deliver keynotes |
GitHub‘s Developer Relations team shows this in action. In 2022, they:
- Hosted 50+ workshops
- Gave 100+ conference talks
- Grew their developer community by 25%
Christina Warren, Senior Developer Advocate at GitHub, says:
“I’m actually a paid shill for our users, because those are the people I care about, the community members.”
This user-first approach helps GitHub build trust while promoting their platform.
8. Picking the Right Role for Your Company
Choosing between a Developer Advocate and a Technical Evangelist? It’s all about your company’s goals, audience, and product stage. Let’s break it down:
8.1 What to Think About
Here’s the key stuff to consider:
| Factor | Developer Advocate | Technical Evangelist |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Developer relationships | Tech promotion |
| Audience | Mostly developers | Devs + non-techies |
| Product Stage | Early to mid | Mid to late |
| Communication | Deep, technical | Big picture, persuasive |
| Feedback | Gathers and interprets | Promotes based on existing |
Think about your main goal. Want a strong dev community? Go for a Developer Advocate. Need to spread the word about your product? A Technical Evangelist might be your best bet.
Who’s your target audience? Developer Advocates rock at talking tech. Technical Evangelists can bridge the gap between tech and non-tech folks.
Where’s your product at? New products often need that Developer Advocate touch – gathering feedback, building relationships. More established? A Technical Evangelist could help you shout about it.
Remember Apple’s Guy Kawasaki? As their first developer evangelist in 1983, he played a big part in the Macintosh‘s 1984 success. That’s the kind of impact these roles can have.
But here’s a reality check from HockeyGeekGirl:
“Your evangelist does not scale. It is expensive to fly them around to conferences and user groups to present.”
It’s true – these roles involve travel and events. Technical Evangelists might need even more resources for wider outreach.
When hiring, look for:
- Great communicators (try role-playing scenarios)
- Passion for sharing knowledge
- Ability to represent your company authentically
Oh, and budget around $127,000 for a developer evangelist salary. It’s an investment, but it could pay off big time.
9. What’s Next for Developer Relations
DevRel is evolving fast. Here’s what’s on the horizon:
9.1 How Roles Might Change
DevRel pros are becoming more than just tech talkers. They’re now key players in product development:
1. AI Integration
AI is changing the game for developers. DevRel teams need to keep up:
- Developers now code 126% more projects per week with AI
- 80% of adults know about generative AI, with 22.5% using it
DevRel pros must:
- Master AI tools
- Guide developers in AI use
- Address job replacement fears
2. Focus on High-Impact Work
With tight budgets, DevRel teams must prove their worth:
- Less general advocacy
- More focus on business-boosting tasks
Ariel Katz, CEO of Sisense, says:
“It’s a game-changer. It’s not just about automating tasks; it’s about enabling developers to think and work at a much higher level and focus on the strategic aspects of their projects.”
3. More Online Engagement
The pandemic pushed DevRel online, and it’s staying there:
- Virtual events and online communities are booming
- Digital communication skills are a must
4. Closer Ties with Other Teams
DevRel is no longer solo:
- Working closely with product, sales, and marketing
- Aligning DevRel goals with business objectives
5. Specialization
Jack-of-all-trades DevRel pros are fading:
- Roles built around specific skills
- Better connections with different developer groups
6. Measuring Impact
It’s all about results now:
- Tracking engagement and conversion
- Setting ROI goals and watching performance
7. Education Takes Center Stage
In a fast-changing tech world, learning is key:
- More courses and certifications
- Helping developers stay current
The future of DevRel? Adapt to new tech, prove value, and help developers thrive in a changing world. Those who can do this will lead the pack.
10. Wrap-up
Developer Advocates and Technical Evangelists are different beasts. Here’s the quick rundown:
| Aspect | Developer Advocates | Technical Evangelists |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Community needs | Product promotion |
| Communication | Two-way | One-way |
| Audience | Developers | Broader tech community |
| Feedback | Gather and relay | Less emphasis |
| Product involvement | Higher | Lower |
| Team placement | Often Engineering | Usually Marketing |
Both roles bridge the gap between developers and companies. They share tech know-how, communication skills, and community engagement. But Developer Advocates listen more, while Technical Evangelists talk more.
The tech world’s changing fast. AI, online events, and tighter budgets are shaking things up:
- AI tools are boosting developer productivity by 126% more projects per week
- 80% of adults know about generative AI, with 22.5% using it
This means both roles need to:
- Get comfy with AI tools
- Guide developers in using AI effectively
- Address concerns about job changes
As Ariel Katz, CEO of Sisense, puts it:
“It’s a game-changer. It’s not just about automating tasks; it’s about enabling developers to think and work at a much higher level and focus on the strategic aspects of their projects.”
Looking ahead, expect these roles to:
- Tie more closely to business goals
- Collaborate more with other teams
- Specialize further
- Get better at measuring their impact
The future’s bright for Developer Advocates and Technical Evangelists. They’ll keep evolving, adapting, and bridging gaps in the ever-changing tech landscape.
FAQs
What’s the difference between developer advocate and evangelist?
Developer advocates and technical evangelists have different priorities:
| Aspect | Developer Advocate | Technical Evangelist |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Help developers | Push products |
| Communication | Two-way | One-way |
| Focus | Developers’ needs | Company’s interests |
| Activities | Workshops, tutorials, talks | Similar, but product-focused |
Developer advocates put developers first. Jono Bacon, a community strategy expert, says:
“A developer advocate should support developers not preach to them. Advocates do similar things as evangelists: workshops, tutorials, and talks. But they always put the customer first, not the company.”
Both roles speak publicly and create content. But advocates solve problems, while evangelists showcase products.
Take MongoDB: An advocate might teach database optimization for any platform. An evangelist would show why MongoDB is the best choice for specific tasks.
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