almanac

A field guide to Developer Relations: history, people, frameworks, metrics, and the AI-agent era.

16 sections 102 entries 1983 → 2026

Begin with the problem

Topics

01 3 entries

History

From Apple/Microsoft evangelism through the modern DX strategy era.

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02 9 entries

Foundations

Definitions, disciplines, roles, hiring, ladders, and org structure.

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03 5 entries

Frameworks

Strategy frameworks: AAARRRP, Orbit, Four Pillars, Maturity, SPACE/DXI.

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04 5 entries

Metrics

Activation, community, business impact, and the vanity-metric trap.

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05 7 entries

Companies

Programs by category: big tech, cloud, API, data, devtools, AI.

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06 8 entries

People

Pioneers, current leaders, advocates, agencies, influencers, founders.

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07 5 entries

Conferences

Flagship, DevRel-specific, language/framework, regional, historical.

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08 7 entries

Tools

Community CRM, docs, events, analytics, sandboxes, newsletters.

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09 12 entries

Platforms

Where developers gather: HN, Reddit, YouTube, Discord, GitHub.

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10 9 entries

Tactics

Content, community, events, docs-as-product, ambassadors, anti-patterns.

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11 5 entries

Trends

AI/LLMs, PLG, DevEx, layoffs/renaissance, future directions.

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12 5 entries

Resources

Books, podcasts, newsletters, courses, foundations.

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13 2 entries

Industries

Industries served and how business model shapes the program.

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14 1 entry

Glossary

Common DevRel terminology, cross-linked to full treatments.

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15 5 entries

Regional

Regional ecosystems in India, Europe, APAC, LATAM, and Africa.

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16 14 entries

DevRel in the AI Era

How DevRel is changing in the age of AI agents and LLMs.

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Methodology

I maintain this as a working field guide, not a final authority. It was assembled from primary sources and a deep-research pass across the public DevRel literature. Each entry lists its own references; numbers (follower counts, headcounts, "current role" claims) should be treated as snapshots that decay quickly. Umbrella sources cited include SlashData's State of the Developer Nation, the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, GitHub Octoverse, and the Linux Foundation's Developer Relations Foundation (founded August 2025).

Last assembled in May 2026.