The document outlines 7 habits for creating successful developer programs: 1) Identify your target audience of developers, 2) Ensure your product is appealing to developers and solves their problems, 3) Have developers on your team who understand other developers, 4) Use metrics that are aligned with business goals and incentivize developers, 5) Integrate your business model into your API, 6) Educate developers through code examples and documentation without requiring logins, 7) Market by promoting what developers create rather than the company itself.

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

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

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.

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)

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

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

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!

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

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 3 rd -party apps / services Preferred / Certified developer program Affiliate / Incentives for your geeks $end them a $teady $tream of customer$