Creating Successful Developer Programs

Slide 1: Creating Successful Developer Programs: All About the Geeks Dave McClure Master of 500 Hats http://www.500hats.com http://500hats.typepad.com

Slide 2: 7 Habits of Highly Successful Developer Programs • Audience: Identify Your Main Geeks • Product: Make Sure It’s Cool • Geeks: Takes One to Know One • Metrics: You Get What You Measure • Biz Model: Bake it into the API • Education: What Lombardi Said… • Marketing: Sell Them, Not You

Slide 3: Who’s Your Audience? • Who are you trying to reach? – end-customer – developers • indies? • small co’s? • enterprise partners? • What Makes Them Tick? • What Problems Do They Have? • Are there geeks who are ALREADY solving your customers’ problems? – if so, find & recruit them to your cause – if not… better find some fast.

Slide 4: Your Product = Better be Cool • To get Geeks behind your product, it needs to be Cool – cool = new, innovative, useful, latest tech • If it ain’t cool, MAKE it cool. • Provide [code] examples • Find developers who are already solving the problem; see if they will use your tools – if not, back to the drawing board • Your #1 Job is to help geeks: – 1) Make Money, OR – 2) Become Famous (either one works)

Slide 5: Your Team = More Geeks • Q1: Are you a Geek? – A: if Yes -> Good. Now Go Find some More – A: if No -> STOP. Do not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200 • Hire EXTROVERTED Geeks (tough) – Bloggers / Writers – IRC / Wiki / Forum Addicts – Hang Out at Conferences & Draw a Crowd – Enjoy writing code samples & helping others • Recruit “Geek Advisory Board” with Target Expertise – Target Languages / Platforms – Customer Verticals – Already Successful / Making Money / Well-Known

Slide 6: Geek Metrics • Have Some. • Aligned with overall business goals. • Examples: – # new customers – # downloads – # active developers – # transactions – $ revenue from APIs • TIP #1: Make Sure Your (non-Geek) Boss / Business Unit signs off on your metrics & goals • TIP #2: Assume <1% of downloads convert to active use

Slide 7: API Biz Model = Biz Model • Bake your Business Model into your API – no free rides, unless your product is free • Ultimately, your API is just a [hopefully] big business development deal – if your API helps geeks make $$$, YOU WIN!

Slide 8: Education = It’s The Only Thing • To Win, You Must Educate (Product Mktg) • To Educate, You Must Speak (Blog) • To Speak, You Must Do/Show (Code Examples) • TIP: DO NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION OR LOGIN TO EDUCATE. EVER. • PERHAPS Require Reg / Login to Make Money / Get Fame (but only if absolutely necessary) • EARLY BETA PROGRAMS = VIRTUE • NDAs & LEGAL DOCUMENTS = CARDINAL SIN

Slide 9: Marketing = Sell The Geeks, Not You • What do Geeks Crave? – Respect (always) – Attention (sometimes) – Money (sometimes) • If you help them -> BFF • Sell Your Best Geeks, Others Will Follow – Product Directory of 3rd-party apps / services – Preferred / Certified developer program – Affiliate / Incentives for your geeks – $end them a $teady $tream of customer$