Developer advocate
deh-VEL-uh-per AD-vuh-kit
A role that combines engineering skills with communication ability to help developers succeed with a product.
A developer advocate is a person whose job is to help developers succeed with a product. They write tutorials, give conference talks, create sample apps, answer community questions, and provide feedback to the product team.
The role requires a rare combination: deep enough technical skill to build real things, strong enough communication skill to explain them clearly, and enough empathy to understand developer frustrations. Developer advocates are often former engineers who discovered they enjoy teaching and community building.
The title varies across companies. Developer advocate, developer evangelist, developer relations engineer, and technical community manager all describe similar roles with different emphasis. Advocacy roles lean toward external engagement. Engineering roles lean toward building tools and improving DX.
Examples
A developer advocate's typical week.
Monday: write a tutorial on the new authentication feature. Tuesday: record a YouTube video walking through the tutorial. Wednesday: answer 20 community questions on Discord. Thursday: speak at a virtual meetup. Friday: compile community feedback into a product brief for the engineering team.
A developer advocate's conference talk lands a deal.
The advocate gives a technical talk at a conference about API design patterns (not about the product). Afterward, a VP of Engineering approaches: 'That was great. What company are you with?' The conversation leads to a pilot. DevRel drove pipeline without selling.
A company hires a developer advocate to improve DX.
The advocate spends their first month using the product the way a new developer would. They document every friction point: confusing error messages, missing documentation, broken sample code. Their report becomes the DX improvement roadmap for the next two quarters.
In practice
Read more on the blog
Frequently asked questions
What is the career path for a developer advocate?
Common paths: senior advocate, lead advocate, head of DevRel, VP of Developer Relations, or transition to product management, engineering management, or developer marketing leadership. The skills (communication, technical depth, community building) transfer to many senior roles.
How do you hire a good developer advocate?
Look for: genuine passion for helping developers, ability to build and demo real applications, strong writing and speaking skills, existing community presence (blog, open source, conference talks), and empathy. Technical credibility is non-negotiable. Communication skills can be developed, but technical foundation cannot be faked.
Related terms
Representing developer interests within a company while helping developers succeed with the company's products.
The practice of building relationships between a company and its developer community through advocacy, content, and support.
How easy, productive, and enjoyable it is for developers to use a product, from documentation to API design to error messages.
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