What a Developer Advocate Is Not

Someone: "What’s your job?"

Me: "I'm a developer advocate."

Someone: "Oh, cool! Like... what do you do exactly?"

Me: "Well, my job is to make it easier for developers to adopt and use a product."

Someone: "Oh, so you work in sales?"

Me: "No, no. I don't sell the product. I help developers use it effectively, for example, by providing code samples, tutorials, articles, and so on."

Someone: "So are you a blogger? Or a technical writer?"

Me: "Well… maybe partly, but that's not all. I support the community and try to understand the pain points developers experience with the product so I can provide that feedback internally to improve it."

Someone: "Oh, right. Uhm… well, that's interesting..."

I’ve had many conversations like this. And often, the other person walks away with a very confused idea about the kind of work I do. I know, it's not easy to explain what I do for a living in just a few words. That's why I wrote a little book that tries to explain it. In this article, however, I want to focus on what a developer advocate is not.

A Developer Advocate Is Not…

It's natural to try to relate a new concept to something you already know. We always do it whenever we have to learn something new. Keeping that familiar concept in mind helps us understand the similarities and differences.

While understanding a new concept by looking at what it's not is not the most efficient process, it's the most natural way to frame it, at least initially. So, let's define what a developer advocate is not by comparing this role to a few common assumptions.

…a Salesperson

The goal of a developer advocate is not to sell a product. Although they aim to influence, their purpose is not to sell. Rather, they seek to improve the product so that it meets the real needs of developers. This influence moves in two directions:

• Outward (from the company to the developer community), to teach developers how to best use the product.
• Inward (from the developer community to the company), to convey their feedback to the company and encourage improvements.

Developers don't trust marketing promises; they trust other developers who have experience with a product and understand its technical details. A developer advocate builds this trust through technical competence, not sales techniques.

…a Copywriter

Although writing is one of their core skills, the role of a developer advocate differs from that of a copywriter. The fundamental difference lies in the purpose of the communication. Content created by a developer advocate is meant to stimulate interaction and feedback. Their work is not about promoting a brand; rather, it is about starting a technical conversation with the developer community. Their work is part of an ongoing dialogue aimed at improving the developer's experience with the product.

…a Blogger

Another common oversimplification is confusing a developer advocate with a blogger. While they may manage a blog and write articles, this is just one activity among many and one communication channel among many. Unlike bloggers, whose primary focus is content creation, developer advocates have the crucial responsibility of inbound advocacy. Their job doesn't end when a post is published. Rather, it continues by actively gathering comments, criticism, and suggestions from the community and bringing them back internally to influence product decisions.

…a Technical Writer

There is a clear distinction between a developer advocate and a technical writer. Technical writers create a product's documentation, which, by nature, has an impersonal style and follows specific rules to guide users. Technical documentation implies one-way communication from the company to the user. In contrast, a developer advocate's content is personal and carries the author's imprint. Its goal is to establish a human connection. Their goal is not only to explain "how to do something," but also to stimulate dialogue, answer questions, and build trust.

…a (Mere) Presenter

Although presentation skills are important, a developer advocate is more than just a presenter of technical content. They are, first and foremost, experienced developers. Their credibility comes from their ability to write code, understand development complexities, and “feel the pain” of other developers, not just from their public speaking abilities. Presentations at conferences or in videos are merely a means of communication and are not the essence of the role. Without direct, in-depth development experience, they would be unable to earn the community's trust.

Conclusion

Now that we've ruled out some of the professions it can be confused with, you probably want to know what a developer advocate is. What do they do? What value do they bring to a company that builds products for developers?

It would take too long to explain here. Find out by downloading my booklet “I Am a Developer Advocate”. It's free! And let me know what you think!