The Four Developer Journeys & Why DevRel Needs All of Them
Most DevRel programs over-index on just one type of developer: the one who’s actively building. But if that’s your only persona, you’re leaving impact—and adoption—on the table.
Every developer starts somewhere, gets stuck somewhere, and eventually wants to grow. Understanding these transitions isn’t just useful—it’s essential to building scalable developer experiences.
💡 You don’t need to optimize for all journeys all the time—but you should know which one you’re serving best.
Here are the four developer journeys I’ve seen consistently across platforms:
- Discovery
"I know what I want to build, but not the best tool to build it with."
This is the research phase. Developers are comparing options, weighing tradeoffs, and trying to see which tool fits their stack and thinking style.
What they need:
- Clear value propositions (not fluff)
- Comparisons to similar tools
- Use-case specific walkthroughs
- Developer-first SEO content
DevRel touchpoints: Blog posts, decision trees, Dev-focused landing pages, API galleries.
- Hello World
"I know what tool I want to use, now I just need to get something working."
Speed matters here. Confidence builds quickly—or crumbles—based on how fast someone can go from zero to something that works.
What they need:
- Fast start guides
- Interactive tutorials or sandboxes
- Sample apps
- Working code in their language/framework of choice
DevRel touchpoints: Quickstart guides, GitHub repos, starter kits, API playgrounds.
- Building
"I’m in the thick of a project and need help to keep moving forward."
This is where friction hurts the most. Developers don’t want to be blocked—they want to keep momentum.
What they need:
- Comprehensive docs
- Troubleshooting and FAQ content
- Community forums or support channels
- Patterns and best practices
DevRel touchpoints: Deep-dive docs, Slack/Discord communities, Stack Overflow presence, office hours.
- Skill Expansion
*"I’ve been using this tool for a while. What else can I do with it?"
These are your future power users. They want to master edge cases, explore integrations, and stay ahead of what’s possible.
What they need:
- Advanced use cases
- Upgrade/migration guides
- Architectural patterns
- Early access to new features
- Art of the Possible
DevRel touchpoints: Webinars, newsletters, changelogs, advanced tutorials, developer days.
Why This Matters
Mapping your content and programs to these four journeys creates a more complete—and more resilient—DevRel strategy. It helps you:
- Build with intention
- Align cross-functional teams
- Drive better product feedback
- Prove value across the full developer lifecycle
But here’s the nuance: no team can optimize all journeys at once. And that’s okay.
🎯 Knowing which journey you’re strongest at—and which you’re ignoring—is the first step toward balance.
This journey model is the foundation of how we structure our DevRel strategy—and how I teach it in my course.
Want to go deeper into this model or audit how your program aligns? Reach out.
