Developer Relations in Web3

The importance of good DevRel in your Web3 ecosystem and how to achieve it

The role of developer relations in Web3 mirrors its Web2 counterpart by navigating diverse open-source communities and cultures. However, unlike Web2, which has mature frameworks like React, Web3’s equivalent tools are still evolving, requiring more educational effort. 

The rapid pace of technological progress in our time has made it abundantly clear that bridging a company’s goals with its developer community isn’t merely a nice-to-have option — it’s imperative. 

This article is a guide to understanding how DevRel fits into your Web3 company’s overall plans and why.

How DevRel Works in Web3

Developer Relations emerges as a pivotal company segment, focusing on tailoring products for a unique audience: Developers. 

Unlike other company members, developers often:

– Are less susceptible to standard marketing and sales approaches.

– Possess the knowledge to find solutions independently.

The same can be said for Web3 developers. 

DevRel is not anymore new to decentralized space, however, although certain Web3 entities like Consensys, Alchemy, and Chainlink Labs have dedicated DevRel departments, they are exceptions rather than the norm. Most Web3 startups typically have just a single DevRel representative, if any. In these instances, DevRel responsibilities are often dispersed informally across various team members.

As we explore how DevRel intertwines with Web3, it is vital to know how DevRel can improve your Web3 organization. 

The Vital Role of DevRel in Web3 Organizations

DevRel is crucial for Web3 organizations, especially those aiming to cultivate robust developer communities and grow their ecosystem. Such organizations are classified into three primary categories:

1. Web3 Infrastructure: This encompasses tools and technologies promoting interoperability within the Web3 framework, not just tied to one protocol. This includes data oracles, Layer-2 scaling solutions, blockchain interaction APIs, KYC platforms, distributed file systems, and SDKs for blockchain app development. The main DevRel business objective here is to amplify integrations using the organization’s tech, boosting revenue via fees from API interactions and Smart contract engagements.

2. L1 and L2 Blockchains and DeFi Protocols: While decentralized teams commonly manage blockchain tech, open-source foundations like the Ethereum or Optimism Foundation often oversee developer education. The DevRel goal is to heighten the number of projects using the protocol. This, in turn, raises revenue through transaction fees, which incentivizes miners and node operators to fortify the network.

3. Exchanges and Marketplaces: Usually, centralized platforms offer digital asset trading. Beyond targeting end users, they provide APIs and SDKs for developers aiming to automate parts of the trading process. Their DevRel objective is to escalate integrations, enhancing trading activity and the resultant fee-based revenue.

Challenges in Web3 DevRel

The world of Web3, while promising, has its challenges, especially in developer relations. Web3 introduces unprecedented technical intricacies with ever-shifting standards, and many blockchain platforms can be overwhelming for many to navigate. The ecosystem’s fast-paced evolution only adds to the complexity. 

Beyond the technical hurdles, there’s a psychological barrier: skepticism. Many traditional developers and investors, anchored in established methods, grapple with grasping and placing faith in this decentralized approach. A significant concern is the absence of universally accepted tools, which can disrupt consistent development workflows. Yet, despite these challenges, the trajectory of Web3 DevRel is upward. 

Why DevRel is Crucial for Web3 Businesses

Developer relations in the blockchain realm go beyond mere code support; it’s about building trust, fostering innovation, and shaping the future of technology. The decentralized nature of blockchain mirrors the decentralized collaboration of its developers – it’s a harmonious blend of technology and community.

Josip Vlah, Head of Innovation at RZLT.

In the dynamic landscape of Web3, where decentralization is revolutionizing how applications and platforms function, DevRel emerges as more than just an operational wing—it’s a strategic imperative. Here’s why:

• Community Building: 

The decentralized nature of Web3 emphasizes community-driven development and governance. A strong community ensures broader product adoption and instills a sense of trust and loyalty among users. As businesses transition to the decentralized web, they will find their strength in numbers—numbers of committed, informed, and engaged users and developers.

• Feedback Loop: 

The Web3 terrain is evolving rapidly, making adaptability key. Having a direct communication channel with developers provides businesses with real-time insights. This accelerates product improvements, ensuring tools and platforms remain relevant and user-centric in a space where user expectations shift quickly.

• Brand Advocacy: 

Word-of-mouth and community endorsements hold immense power in the digital realm. Passionate developers who understand and appreciate a product’s value can become its most influential advocates. Their organic promotion within their networks and the broader community can significantly amplify a brand’s reach and credibility.

• Streamlining Product Development: 

Web3 introduces novel challenges and opportunities. By integrating direct feedback from those on the development frontline, businesses can pinpoint areas needing enhancement. This cuts down on resource wastage and ensures product development is aligned with genuine market needs, making innovations more impactful.

While these units support the mission, DevRel stands unique by dedicating its full-time attention across all these functions, ensuring the developer community remains central to the organization’s strategy. Given its cross-functional nature, the challenge often lies in positioning DevRel within an organization.

Strategies for Effective Web3 DevRel

To foster a thriving developer community in Web3, the following procedures are pivotal:

• Education and Training:

Description: This involves providing workshops, tutorials, webinars, and other resources to help developers understand Web3 technologies, such as smart contracts and the related smart contract languages, dApps, and blockchain infrastructure in general.

Why It’s Important: Due to the developing and complex nature of Web3, continuous education is necessary to ensure developers have the latest knowledge and best practices.

-Beginner Guides: Provide beginner-friendly guides and tutorials. This is especially important for L1 protocols, which hope to attract entrepreneurs and startups to build on their platform. You can’t expect them to come in with knowledge about your infrastructure and programming languages, and a lot of them will have inexperienced dev teams, which will need to learn and understand your infrastructure from the ground up. Making it as easy as possible for them to learn and build on your platform is essential for your success.

-Workshops and Webinars: Host events that teach key Web3 concepts. Organizing a live or virtual event with the purpose of getting developers interested in building on your platform is no easy task and requires a rare combination of development skills, deep Web3 knowledge, and marketing ability. To this purpose, it is often best practice to employ a partner with experience in organizing events in the Web3 environment. Read below in this text how RZLT has helped Web3 protocols and companies to organize these events successfully.

-Rich Documentation: Ensure you have comprehensive documentation, with plenty of code samples and step-by-step guides.

• Community Building and Engagement:

Description: Organizing and participating in events such as hackathons, conferences, and meetups, ambassador programs, as well as managing online forums and chat groups.

Why It’s Important: Building a strong, active, and engaged community fosters innovation, collaboration, and the rapid spread of best practices. Developers want to build on platforms with a lively community and many potential users. Additionally, a developer community forms and galvanizes alongside the regular user community, and they usually grow together, thus having a strong community is always a good sign to devs that it’s worthwhile building on the platform in question. 

 –Community Channels: Use platforms like Discord, Telegram, or Gitter for real-time engagement.

-Forums: Establish forums or community Q&A platforms where developers can ask questions and get answers.

– Ambassador Programs: Ambassador programs mobilize community advocates to promote protols and projects to diverse areas, making them accessible to global users. They’re essential to DevRel because they bridge developers and projects, fostering collaboration, and amplifying adoption.Hackathons: Organize or sponsor hackathons to promote your Web3 technology and encourage development. Hackathons can be tricky to organize, as they need to bring developers together, usually in teams, to create solutions based on your blockchain platform. Furthermore, they are not easy to execute, as they need to be carefully prepared in advance, allowing the devs the best possible ground for creation while also offering a sufficient incentive for them to spend their time and effort building solutions on your platform.

• Technical Support and Problem-Solving:

Description: Assisting developers with technical issues they encounter while working with Web3 technologies.

Why It’s Important: Providing timely and effective support enhances developer trust and encourages the adoption of the platform or technology.

Responsive Support Channels: Ensure you have active support channels where developers can get timely responses.

 Bug Bounties: Establish programs to reward the community for finding and reporting security vulnerabilities. Bounties can be used for more than bug-solving, however. They have been used for many purposes, including promotion, or even to build blocks of functional add-ons to existing protocols, and much more.

 Grants: Consider offering grants for developers building on your platform or using your tools.

• Staying Updated and Research:

Description: Constantly researching and staying updated with the latest trends, tools, and best practices in the Web3 space.

Why it’s Important: The Web3 landscape is rapidly evolving. Being abreast of the latest advancements ensures that the developer community is always provided with the most current and relevant information.

 Constant Learning: Web3 tech evolves rapidly. DevRel teams need to stay updated to provide accurate information. Providing easily accessible and regular logs of updates and changes to the platform will be highly appreciated by the dev community.

 Feedback Loops: Create systems to get regular feedback from developers to understand their pain points and needs.

• Tools and SDK Development:

Description: Creating or supporting the development of tools, libraries, and software development kits (SDKs) tailored for Web3 development.

Why It’s Important: These resources reduce the barriers to entry and accelerate the development process for Web3 applications.

SDKs and Libraries: Provide software development kits and libraries that make developing your platform easier. Expanding the SDKs, and even coding languages available on your platform will help attract a wider spectrum of developers. 

Integration Examples: Show how your technology can integrate with other popular tools and platforms in the Web3 space.

•   Feedback Collection, Collaboration, and Integration:

Description: Actively collecting feedback from the developer community regarding tools, platforms, and other resources and then integrating that feedback into product improvements.

Why It’s Important: Feedback loops ensure that tools and platforms remain relevant and continue to meet the evolving needs of developers.

Partnerships: Form alliances with other Web3 projects, universities, and tech companies.

Guest Blogging: Write for or invite guest bloggers to share their experiences and learnings on your platform.

• Localization and Inclusivity:

Description: Make an effort to represent the diversity of the global developer community.

Why it’s Important: They ensure universal access, enhance global adoption, respect cultural nuances, drive economic growth, and foster trust. Emphasizing these aspects provides a global, diverse, and connected developer community in the decentralized digital ecosystem.

Multilanguage Support: Provide resources in various languages to cater to a global audience. The global Web3 developer community is dispersed across the map, and catering to specific local dev communities can provide you with highly devoted and capable personnel that wouldn’t be there if you only focused on the English-speaking part. 

Localized Events: Host or sponsor events in different regions to connect with developers globally.

Accessibility: Ensure all resources and platforms are accessible to developers with disabilities.

Content Creation in Web3 DevRel:

Companies should prioritize proactive content generation tailored to the developer community. This includes producing engaging videos, comprehensive tutorials, and in-depth explanations that delve into the intricacies of the technology. 

Such resources are not just supplementary; they are central in ensuring that developers can seamlessly onboard, understanding the tools at their disposal profoundly. By providing this rich repository of information, developers are empowered to either integrate these tools into their proprietary software effortlessly or innovate by building directly upon the protocol or marketplace.

This signals an ongoing commitment to foster trust in an ecosystem where transparency and credibility are paramount. This trust is further enhanced when content highlights successes and addresses challenges and pitfalls transparently, helping developers navigate common hurdles.

Additionally, with the Web3 landscape evolving rapidly, fresh content ensures developers stay updated with the latest advancements, best practices, and emerging standards. This continual education reduces fragmentation and ensures a more cohesive developer ecosystem.

Metrics to Measure DevRel Success

Regularly track:

• Engagement Metrics: Such as active community participants or forum posts.
• Adoption Metrics: Monitor the uptake of your tools or APIs.
• Satisfaction Metrics: Use surveys to gauge developer satisfaction.
• Feedback Loop Metrics: Track the integration of feedback into product development.

Why Web3 Needs Better DevRel

In the intricate landscape of Web3, empathetic DevRel teams serve as crucial guides. To many newcomers, Web3 appears as a disjointed maze of competing technical factions rather than a unified industry. Despite strides in interoperability, the vast array of smart contract languages and differing consensus mechanisms make it challenging to find common ground. Here, DevRel experts play the role of translators, converting complex technical jargon into more relatable terms, especially essential for Web2 developers.

DevRel specialists wear two hats: while they champion the project they represent, they’re also devoted to the broader developer community’s success, often sharing educational content and engaging on platforms like Stack Overflow. This bolsters the reputation of the companies they represent and stems from genuine commitment.

Competition intensifies as Web3 infrastructure startups surge, driven by the demand for decentralized solutions. Such startups will increasingly lean on DevRel to stand out and capture a larger developer market share. Embracing DevRel isn’t just strategic—it’s vital for the holistic growth and success of the Web3 domain.

RZLT Impacts Developer Communities for Near Balkans and Sui Foundation

In my experience, web3 developers are innovative and flexible developers who have recognized the coming change and decided to take a big step and invest in their future career by learning and adjusting to a new paradigm in computing and development. One that relies on decentralized protocols, smart contracts, and digital assets. To attract new web3 developers, the most important thing protocols and companies can do is to make this learning process as smooth as possible.

Albertina Nikolova, Head of Operations RZLT

In the  Web3 space, connecting with the right people is paramount. Recently, we helped NEAR Protocol create NEAR Balkans HUB, a regional hub catering to the local community and developers, by setting up the right community channels, organizing both live and virtual meetups and other events, as well as coordinating workshops, hackathons, and official certification for developers. In combination with other services we provided, these efforts resulted in:

•  30% increased number of weekly active wallets on the regional market
• Local language academy and certification establishment
• 4-month NEAR Balkans Summership program
• 600+ attendees on NEARby events

These are just a few ways that are used to build a regional community, bringing positive attention to the Near Balkans Hub, and growing the regional pool of NEAR developers.

Additionally, in collaboration with the Sui Foundation and  4pt.0 Ventures, we organized a developer workshop in Sofia, focused on reaching developers in the region and acquainting them with the SUI ecosystem and the tools and languages it utilizes. These events proved invaluable, bringing together like-minded developers, fostering collaboration, and promoting knowledge exchange. Our expertise went beyond mere promotion; we crafted a holistic environment where innovation thrived and developers could connect on both professional and personal levels. This commitment underscores RZLT’s dedication to not just marketing but also nurturing the growing Web3 developer community.

Want a deeper dive? Check out our detailed case study on the Near Balkans launch, or follow us on LinkedIn for more about what we do in the Web3 space. 

The Future of Web3 DevRel

As the Web3 landscape evolves, so will its developer relations:

1. AI and ML could be integrated to automate developer support, offer predictive insights, and even assist in Smart contract creation.

2. Decentralized governance, where community members vote on platform directions, will play a more significant role, making DevRel even more crucial in gauging and managing community sentiment.

For businesses poised on the brink of this new era in Web3, investing in Web3 developer relations is imperative. At its core, DevRel is the symbiotic relationship between a company and its developers. Characterized by effective communication, mutual growth, and collaboration, DevRel creates a seamless environment for developers to have the tools, resources, and support necessary to succeed.

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