What Is DevRel?
Most people discover DevRel by accident.
You just start helping people online. Writing tutorials. Organizing meetups. Explaining technical concepts to friends. Posting about things you are learning.
Then eventually you realize… this is actually a real career. Yeah it is!
Developer Relations, usually shortened to DevRel is one of the most unique careers in tech because it sits between technology, communication, education, and community.
It’s not purely engineering.
It’s not purely marketing.
And it’s definitely not traditional sales.
It’s closer to being a translator between builders and technology.
So What Does DevRel Actually Mean?
At its simplest: DevRel helps developers succeed with a company’s technology.
That technology could be: APIs, AI tools, open-source software, etc.
A DevRel person helps developers understand the product, use it successfully, and trust it enough to keep building with it.
That sounds simple, but in practice it means doing a bit of everything:
creating tutorials, gathering product feedback, hosting workshops, building communities, and making technical concepts easier to understand.
Why Companies Need DevRel
A lot of technical founders believe that If the product is good, developers will come. Usually they don’t.
Developers are overwhelmed with tools. Every week there’s a new API, AI platform or infrastructure layer competing for attention.
Even great products fail when documentation is confusing, onboarding is painful or nobody understands why the product matters.
DevRel exists to reduce that friction.
Good DevRel makes a product feel approachable instead of intimidating.
What Does Someone in DevRel Actually Do?
This depends heavily on the company. At startups, one person may handle everything. At larger companies, the role becomes more specialized, but most DevRel work falls into a few categories.
1. Teaching
A large part of DevRel is education. That can mean: tutorials, blog posts,demo apps, workshops, etc.
The goal is not directly to sell. The goal is to help developers succeed.
Good DevRel people explain complex things clearly. That skill is rarer than most people think.
2. Community Building
Modern tech companies increasingly rely on ecosystems.
DevRel teams often build and support communities through: Discord, Telegram, hackathons, ambassador programs, etc.
A strong developer community becomes a growth engine by itself.
3. Representing the Company Publicly
Many DevRel professionals become the public face of a product or ecosystem.
The best ones build trust over time because they consistently help people, not because they aggressively promote something.
4. Acting as the Bridge
This is one of the most underrated parts of DevRel. Developers often share things they would never put into a survey: what frustrates them, what features are missing, what feels confusing.
DevRel sits close to the community, so they often spot product problems early and bring that feedback internally to: engineering,
product, leadership.
In healthy companies, DevRel becomes an important source of product insight.
Is DevRel Technical?
Yes, but not always in the way people expect. Some DevRel roles are deeply technical.
Others focus more on: education, ecosystem growth or community.
You do not necessarily need to be a senior engineer, but you do need: technical curiosity, willingness to learn and the ability to explain technical concepts clearly.
A useful rule: you usually need to understand the technology well enough to make it approachable for others.
That’s different from needing to be the best engineer in the room.
The Skills That Matter Most
One interesting thing about DevRel is that the most valuable skills are often surprisingly human.
Communication
Can you explain complicated ideas clearly?
A lot of people understand technology. Far fewer can explain it well.
That skill becomes extremely valuable.
Empathy
Good DevRel people genuinely care about helping developers succeed. That means understanding:confusion, frustration and onboarding pain.
Empathy helps identify friction quickly.
Curiosity
Technology changes constantly, especially now with AI.
The best DevRel professionals are usually obsessive learners. They experiment constantly and enjoy exploring new tools.
The Best Parts of Working in DevRel
One reason people love DevRel is variety.
You might spend one day: writing tutorials, testing new AI tools,
speaking at an event, organizing a hackathon, meeting founders.
Another major advantage is network.
DevRel sits close to innovation, especially in AI, open source, and developer ecosystems. Over time, that network becomes extremely valuable!
Many DevRel professionals later become: founders, creators, ecosystem leaders.
The Downsides
DevRel also has real challenges.
Burnout is common, especially in ecosystems where people expect constant online visibility and engagement.
Some companies also misunderstand DevRel and turn the role into a mix of: marketing, support, recruiting, partnerships, etc.
Healthy DevRel teams have clear expectations and strong internal alignment.
How To Start in DevRel
The best part is that you do not need permission to begin.
Many successful DevRel careers started through: posting online,
creating tutorials, helping communities, contributing to open source,
hosting events or building demo projects.
You do not need to be an expert.
In fact, beginners often explain concepts better because they still remember what feels confusing.
The internet rewards people who consistently create useful things publicly. That’s how many DevRel careers begin.
Final Thought
The best DevRel professionals reduce confusion and help people feel more capable and more confident using technology.
As software becomes increasingly complex, people who can translate complexity into clarity will become more valuable.
DevRel is ultimately about making technology feel human. That’s really what DevRel is.
