The document discusses optimizing developer onboarding by focusing on three key questions: how easy it is for developers to understand a product, how quickly developers can get started using a product, and how easy it is for developers to find references and examples. It provides examples from Netlify, Twilio, GitHub, and other companies that effectively address these questions through approaches like descriptive messaging, fast deployment templates, and embedded documentation with live examples.

1. Breadcrumbs and Carrots:
Optimizing Developer
Onboarding
Brian Douglas

2. Developers are on your site
because they specifically
sought out your product

3. LEGO® City Great Vehicles Pizza Van #60150
What’s in the box?

4. Developer
onboarding
by

5. Brian Douglas
@bdougieYO

6. Developer AdvocateTools

7. Developer AdvocateTools

11. Developer Tools

12. Onboarding developers

13. Carrots/Breadcrumbs
🥕 🥖
(Channel)(Direct)

14. 1. Messaging + First Touch
2. Speed to Success
3. Reference Projects/Materials/DevCenter/Docs
Framework for developer onboarding

15. 1. How easy to get an idea of what your product is?
2. How long does it take to go from 0 to using your product?
3. How easy is it for a developer find a references and examples?
Let’s focus on these 3 questions

16. Messaging + First Touch
1. How easy to get an idea of what your product is?

17. Netlify

18. What is Netlify?

19. What is Netlify?
Deploy modern web projects

20. What is Netlify?
Need a repository and build settings

21. What is Netlify?
Multiple CTAs

22. Developer concern:
Am I qualified to use this?

23. Am I qualified to
used this?
Developer trust is
mentioned
Familiar developer moose
heads

24. Twilio

25. Directed first touch
🥕

26. Programming language
Frameworks
Conferences
Tutorials
Other companies
Channel 🥖

27. GitHub

28. Guided first touch
through the channel
🥖

29. Channel

30. (Channel)

31. Heroku

33. 🥖

34. 1. Use descriptive copy
2. Encourage usage and return visitors
3. Leverage the channel to qualify/teach developers
How easy is it to get an idea of what your product is?

35. Speed to Success
2. How long does it take to go from 0 to using your product?

36. How fast can I deploy?
🥕

37. Seconds
How fast can I deploy?
🥕

39. Deployed in seconds (confirmed)

40. Deploy templates
🥖

41. Deploy templates
🥖

42. How fast can I send a
SMS?
Generate a Twilio within a few
minutes after sign up
🥕

43. How fast can I deploy a
GitHub App?

44. 🥖
GitHub App in minutes

45. 1. Faster onboarding is always going to lead to a better engagement
2. Identify ways to package onboarding to embrace channel
3. Give developers a reason return to the dashboard
How long does it take to go from 0 to using your product?

46. Reference Materials
3. How easy is it for a developer find a references and examples?

48. developer.github.com
🥕

49. Embedded experience
with live data
🥕
developer.github.com

50. Embedded
experience with live
data
🥕

51. Graphcool (Prisma) & Meteror (Apollo)

52. GraphQL

53. Living documentation
(howtographl.org)
🥖

54. Usable project
(howtographl.org)
🥖

55. 1. Consider SEO, blogs, and community created tutorials
2. Teaching is better than direct selling
3. Give developer something to engage
How easy is it for a developer find a references and examples?

56. 1. How easy to get an idea of what your product is?
2. How long does it take to go from 0 to using your product?
3. How easy is it for a developer find a references and examples?
Focus on these 3 questions

57. LEGO® City Great Vehicles Pizza Van #60150
Keep it simple

58. developer.github.com/program

60. Videos to watch
Developer Onboarding Heroku7 Deadly Sins of Developer Onboarding

61. Brian Douglas
@bdougieYO
#