Dave McClure
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Transcript of Dave McClure
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Creating Successful Developer Programs:
All About the Geeks
Dave McClureMaster of 500 Hats
http://www.500hats.com http://500hats.typepad.com
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7 Habits of Highly Successful Developer Programs
• Audience: Identify Your Main Geeks• Product: Make Sure It’s Cool• Geeks: Takes One to Know One• Metrics: You Get What You Measure• Biz Model: Bake it into the API• Education: What Lombardi Said…• Marketing: Sell Them, Not You
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Who’s Your Audience?• Who are you trying to reach?
– end-customer– developers
• indies?• small co’s?• enterprise partners?
• What Makes Them Tick?• What Problems Do They Have?• Are there geeks who are ALREADY solving your
customers’ problems?– if so, find & recruit them to your cause– if not… better find some fast.
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Your Product = Better be Cool
• To get Geeks behind your product, it needs to be Cool– cool = new, innovative, useful, latest tech
• If it ain’t cool, MAKE it cool.• Provide [code] examples• Find developers who are already solving the problem;
see if they will use your tools– if not, back to the drawing board
• Your #1 Job is to help geeks:– 1) Make Money, OR– 2) Become Famous(either one works)
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Your Team = More Geeks
• Q1: Are you a Geek?– A: if Yes -> Good. Now Go Find some More– A: if No -> STOP. Do not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200
• Hire EXTROVERTED Geeks (tough)– Bloggers / Writers– IRC / Wiki / Forum Addicts– Hang Out at Conferences & Draw a Crowd– Enjoy writing code samples & helping others
• Recruit “Geek Advisory Board” with Target Expertise– Target Languages / Platforms– Customer Verticals– Already Successful / Making Money / Well-Known
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Geek Metrics
• Have Some.• Aligned with overall business goals.• Examples:
– # new customers– # downloads– # active developers – # transactions– $ revenue from APIs
• TIP #1: Make Sure Your (non-Geek) Boss / Business Unit signs off on your metrics & goals
• TIP #2: Assume <1% of downloads convert to active use
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API Biz Model = Biz Model
• Bake your Business Model into your API– no free rides, unless your product is free
• Ultimately, your API is just a [hopefully] big business development deal– if your API helps geeks make $$$, YOU WIN!
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Education = It’s The Only Thing
• To Win, You Must Educate (Product Mktg)• To Educate, You Must Speak (Blog)• To Speak, You Must Do/Show (Code Examples)
• TIP: DO NOT REQUIRE REGISTRATION OR LOGIN TO EDUCATE. EVER.
• PERHAPS Require Reg / Login to Make Money / Get Fame (but only if absolutely necessary)
• EARLY BETA PROGRAMS = VIRTUE• NDAs & LEGAL DOCUMENTS = CARDINAL SIN
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Marketing = Sell The Geeks, Not You
• What do Geeks Crave?– Respect (always)– Attention (sometimes)– Money (sometimes)
• If you help them -> BFF
• Sell Your Best Geeks, Others Will Follow– Product Directory of 3rd-party apps / services– Preferred / Certified developer program– Affiliate / Incentives for your geeks– $end them a $teady $tream of customer$