We go deep into developer marketing. Actionable insights that dev tool founders and marketers can use to grow today. Long interviews with top dev tool marketers, solo deep-dives, examples and teardowns. This will be fun.
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#11 [Interview] Marketing dev tools on Product Hunt with Flo Merian
Season 1 · Episode 11
Friday, September 12, 2025 • Duration 01:46:19
Flo Merian (ex PMM at Clerk and Mintflify, Ambassador at Product Hunt and v0 by Vercel) talks about marketing on Product Hunt not as a single launch but a continuous series of re-launches. A ton of great insights. Learned a bunch.
Links:
Flo Merian https://www.linkedin.com/in/fmerian/
Jakub Czakon https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-czakon/
#10 [Interview] Marketing dev tools on Reddit with Aditya Ramakrishnan
Season 1 · Episode 10
Saturday, August 30, 2025 • Duration 01:47:04
Aditya Ramakrishnan (PMM at Reo.dev, ex-Stripe, ex-ImageKit) shares his learning from marketing dev tools and technical products on Reddit. Aditya focuses on organic strategies, hard-earned learnings and examples from years engaging on Reddit.
#1 [Interview] Building developer communities of craft with Demetrios Brinkmann
Season 1 · Episode 1
Thursday, April 24, 2025 • Duration 01:34:23
Demetrios Brinkmann created one of the biggest and most vibrant developer communities that I've seen, MLOps Community. He shares learnings on how he did that and what he'd do differently. Incredible resource for dev tool community managers and founders.
Get to know people: when people join just talk to them, get to know them, do a 15-minute chat to learn what they want to get from the community, what their expertise is, where they can chip in etc.
Tag and introduce members: Figure out who knows about what and then @ tag them in the conversations to engage. On top of that intro/connect people who you think could benefit from connecting in DMs.
Seeding conversations: ask people you spoke to, to ask questions in channels. Sharing good articles could help show the community is not dead but doesn’t really grow engagement.
Don’t let questions get unanswered: ask people in DMs to answer, tag people etc. Or try and share resources you saw on the subject so as not to leave people hanging
Share targeted resources: when you get to know members, either manually, or through surveys, share super targetted resources with them. Courses, blogs, podcasts, etc when you have things that are exactly what they want.
Build community members up. You see a blog post from someone from community, share it in the slack yourself and start the discussion. Then you can invite them to meetups/conferences, talks, podcast. Whatever social capital you have to give.
Gating community: making sure that folks who get into the community will add/get value from it. Discussions are shaped by the people who are in it so if you have vendors/beginners those are the conversations you’ll see.
#9 [Teardown] LinkedIn Ads from Aikido Security
Season 1 · Episode 9
Thursday, July 10, 2025 • Duration 21:12
In this episode I go over LinkedIn Ads from Aikido Security. I love their no BS but tongue in cheek approach to marketing and fantastic brand stunts (remember OnlyScans?). I also explained a framework I like that fits quite nicely into this approach.
Links
Aikido Security in LinkedIn Ads library https://www.linkedin.com/ad-library/search?accountOwner=aikido+security
LinkedIn Framework from Impactable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqpiSyH7-Y8&list=PLkUlQWMs43Ej774fAkMc7kuTloulOu6zy
Chapters
00:00 Understanding Aikido's Advertising Strategy
03:13 Layers of Advertising: Cold, Retargeting, and Conversion
06:28 Creative Approaches in Cold Layer Advertising
09:26 Building Trust: Testimonials and Case Studies
12:33 Differentiation and Competitive Analysis
15:20 Thought Leadership and Community Engagement
18:24 Final Thoughts on Aikido's Advertising Success
Takeaways
Aikido's ads are effective and engaging.
Advertising can be broken down into three layers: cold, retargeting, and conversion.
Creative content is crucial in the cold layer to attract interest.
Testimonials and case studies build trust in the retargeting layer.
Differentiation from competitors is key in advertising.
Thought leadership can enhance community engagement.
#8 [Interview] Adam Frankl's tips for developer marketers (not only founders)
Friday, June 27, 2025 • Duration 01:49:26
Adam Frankl is perhaps the GOAT of dev marketing but definitely the Triceratops who was the first VP marketing at 3 dev tool startups that became unicorns. Author of a must read book for dev tool founders - Developer Facing Startup. Had so much fun talking and learning from Adam.
Links
- Adam Frankl https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfrankl/
- Jakub Czakon https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-czakon/
- The Developer Facing Startup (Adam's book) https://www.amazon.com/Developer-Facing-Startup-market-developer-facing/dp/B0D4KGHQML
- Developer Facing Startup Founder's Academy (Adam's course) https://developerfacingstartup.dev/
- Lean Customer Development book https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Customer-Development-Hardcover-version/dp/1449356354
Takeaways
Technical advisory board tweaks for dev marketers implementing this (including the chief scientist persona, social media marketing)
Creating authority and actual thought leadership content as a non SME marketer
Examples of owning the problem midnshare from Neo4j (graph database newsletter)
Strategic narrative framing for dev tools + example from sourcegraph
Technology discovery loop for devs (and getting into those loops)
Dark matter devs and how to solve it with targeting “alpha developers” who in turn speak to other devs
Free anonymous piece of product + examples from Neo4j and Sourcegraph
#7 [Example] CISOTOPIA toy store campaign by Wiz
Thursday, June 19, 2025 • Duration 11:31
In this episode I go over a CISOTOPIA campaign that Wthe security company Wiz ran recently. Basicaly a fake toy store with dozens of funny security puns. Loved it!
Wiz is known for its humorous branding at security conferences.
Creative marketing can differentiate a brand in a crowded market.
Engaging with the community is crucial for brand visibility.
Top of funnel activities can enhance brand awareness.
Using humor in branding can create memorable experiences.
Interactive games can effectively communicate security concepts.
Understanding your audience is key to successful marketing.
Playful branding can make technical subjects more approachable.
Memes and humor can strengthen community connections.
Innovative ideas can lead to increased audience engagement.
#6 [Teardown] Polypane homepage
Season 1 · Episode 6
Saturday, May 31, 2025 • Duration 31:49
I go over all core elements on Polypane's homepage reviewing copy, design, information flow and more.
This was community-requested teardown. If you'd like your homepage/ads/content reviewed -> send it over.
Links:
Polypane homepage https://polypane.app/
Dev tool landing page examples https://www.markepear.dev/examples/landing-page
Jakub Czakon https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-czakon/
Takeaways
DevTools should be clearly defined for users.
Ambitious language may not add value to messaging.
Visuals must effectively communicate product features.
Headlines should be re-evaluated for clarity.
User experience is crucial in product design.
Community engagement can enhance product credibility.
Features should be presented in an easily digestible format.
Testimonials should connect to a broader community narrative.
Product differentiation is key to standing out.
A clear call to action can improve user engagement.
Summary
In this conversation, Jakub Czakon provides a detailed teardown of Polyplane, focusing on its use of DevTools, product clarity, user experience, and marketing strategies.
He emphasizes the importance of clear communication of features, the need for effective visual design, and the value of community engagement and testimonials.
Jakub also discusses the significance of product differentiation and offers recommendations for improving the overall presentation and user understanding of Polyplane.
I this episode I review the homepage of BuildKite, focusing on how the design effectively showcases social proof through mini case studies and uses a platform diagram as an interactive visual in product sections lower down the page.
Links
- Buildkite https://buildkite.com/
- Jakub Czakon https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-czakon/
07:39 Communication of Features and Differentiation
10:31 Quotes and Testimonials
13:08 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Takeaways
BuildKite effectively showcases their product despite its complexity.
Social proof is front-loaded, enhancing credibility.
The homepage connects product functionality with customer success stories.
Visual communication is crucial for user engagement.
The use of diagrams helps clarify product features.
A strong differentiation strategy is evident in their messaging.
User testimonials could be more prominent for impact.
The homepage could benefit from a clearer 'how it works' section.
Integrations with other tools should be highlighted.
Overall, BuildKite's homepage is well-designed and effective.
Keywords
BuildKite, homepage design, product value, social proof, user experience, differentiation, customer focus, visual communication, testimonials, integrations
#4 [Interview] LinkedIn video ads for tech audiences with Itamar Ben Yair
Season 1 · Episode 4
Saturday, May 10, 2025 • Duration 01:42:57
Itamar Ben Yair is a tech startup LinkedIn ads consultant specializing in TikTok UGC style video ads to the cold audience. He shares his insights on why they work so well, how to do them, how to measure the impact and much more.
Links
- Itamar Ben Yair https://www.linkedin.com/in/itamar-ben-yair-053271174/
- Jakub Czakon https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-czakon/
Takeaways
- Bring B2C aesthetics to B2D. Get inspired by people who actually do good ads that drive entire B2C businesses rather than vanilla B2B ads.
- In dev tools, you need more than 5 seconds to explain what the product does. Sometimes way more. TikTok-style video ads with actors catch attention and keep it for long enough so that you can explain what your tool does.
- Startups should focus on cold audiences (prospecting). People who never heard of you. This is where the impact comes from not remarketing.
- If you do something inherently exciting, with a free tier, a good in-feed YouTube ads tactic is to get the influencer to create a piece of content, and distribute that video through in-feed ads.
- Instagram (Meta) ads can be a great way to reach engineers. You find your audience by qualification through a creative. For example start with a generic interest based audience, see who watches 75% of your video ads, find lookalikes to those and serve ads to them. But it only works if your audience on Meta is in 100s of thousands.
- “Every ad should show the product” was a rule at Monday that Itamar has used throughout his career. Even if it is difficult, show the product, talk about the capabilities of the product.
- Optimize ads based on in-platform signals (view % etc), sanity check with sales that leads coming in are good (pipeline).
- Take big bets and see obvious results (or not). Small incremental improvements are hard to see. Don’t scale the budget by 10%, scale it 2x. Make it easy to see that you succeeded or failed.
#3 [Teardown] Deepgram homepage
Season 1 · Episode 3
Thursday, April 24, 2025 • Duration 19:56
I go over all core elements on Deepgram's homepage and playground and say what I like, what I don’t like, and what changes I’d test out. Spoiler alert: their site is awesome.
Deepgram's homepage effectively communicates its product through layered visuals.
Clear and concise copy is essential for user understanding.
CTAs should prioritize developer engagement over buyer-centric approaches.
The playground feature is a valuable tool for user interaction.
Community engagement is crucial for building trust among developers.
Enterprise sections should focus on trust and security features.
Testimonials can enhance credibility and user confidence.
Highlighting integrations with popular SDKs can attract more developers.
A well-structured website can significantly improve user experience.
Continuous testing and iteration are key to optimizing website performance.
Deepgram Website Teardown: Insights and Recommendations
Unpacking Deepgram's Voice AI Marketing Strategy
Summary
In this conversation, Jakub Czakon provides a detailed teardown of Deepgram's website, focusing on its design, copy, and user experience.
He highlights the effectiveness of the visual representation of the product, the clarity of the copy, and the importance of CTAs tailored for developers.
Jakub emphasizes the need for community engagement and trust-building elements, especially for enterprise users.
Related Shows Based on Content Similarities
Discover shows related to Going Deepear Into Dev Marketing, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
00:00 Introduction to Aditya Ramakrishnan and His Background
06:14 The Importance of Developer Marketing
12:08 Key Learnings from Marketing at Developer-Focused Companies
18:17 The Role of Content in Developer Marketing
24:11 Understanding Reddit as a Marketing Platform
30:18 Engaging with the Developer Community on Reddit
46:18 Navigating Reddit: Getting Comfortable
50:09 Understanding Reddit's Unique Culture
52:21 Building Reddit Skills: The 80-20 Rule
55:19 Leveraging Reddit Tools for Research
58:35 Authenticity in Reddit Engagement
01:01:29 Effective Product Advocacy on Reddit
01:12:24 Collaborative Reddit Strategies
01:15:22 Community Monitoring and Tools for Engagement
01:17:11 The Role of Marketers in Online Conversations
01:19:14 Building a Reddit Muscle for Effective Engagement
01:22:14 Establishing a Social Listening Strategy
01:24:46 Open House: Sharing Insights Across Teams
01:30:23 Metrics for Measuring Engagement Success
01:42:10 Reddit Advertising: Strategies and Insights
Takeaways
Developers consume a lot of content and need to stay updated.
Brand matters even to developers; they have brand affinities.
Content marketing should be central to developer marketing strategies.
Developers are involved in every buying cycle, even if not directly.
Reddit is a unique platform that requires understanding its culture.
Engagement on Reddit should be genuine and value-driven.
Marketers should leverage developers as advocates in communities.
Active participation in discussions is crucial for success on Reddit.
Understanding the nuances of Reddit can lead to better marketing outcomes. Providing value is essential in content marketing.
Authenticity in product advocacy builds trust.
Marketers should create content guidelines for effective communication.
Developers play a crucial role in writing authentic content.
Transparency in promotion fosters trust with the audience.
Avoiding quotas in community engagement leads to more genuine interactions.
Social listening tools are vital for understanding community needs.
Establishing a community engagement process is key to success.
Reddit advertising should focus on brand recall rather than direct conversions.
Keywords
Developer marketing, Reddit, community engagement, developer tools, marketing insights, content marketing, product advocacy, community engagement, social listening, developer marketing, Reddit strategies.
Seeding community: you can start by inviting selected people through LinkedIn/Twitter. I liked the outreach message: “Hey I’ve spent the last 40 days locked in my house [COVID], and wanted to do something productive with my life. And I started this community. If you want to join, let me know”
Creating a podcast opens doors: high-influence people take calls with you when it is a podcast when they may not have talked to you otherwise
Be-shameless channel: for some practitioners, it is one of the most valuable channels. It keeps people in the loop on what is happening in the space. And vendor articles or webinars are actually appreciated by some people as the vendors spend 24/7 working with practitioners in the space on their little piece. Plus if there is no be-shameless you will get spam in intro or general.
Managing sponsors is tricky: at a certain scale, you want to get sponsors to be able to fund the infrastructure and people to keep it vibrant. But you don’t want to sell your soul to vendors and sell your members as leads to them.
Community of craft vs small exclusive meetups: you need to live this, this is a huge effort, with content, engagement, etc. It may be smarter to build small exclusive and targeted in-person meetups. Quality over quantity. 20-30 people, not recorded, super focused conversations. And the CTA after that meetup is to join the community Slack.
Chapters
00:00 Starting the MLOps Community
08:51 Values and Culture in the Community
15:25 Connecting People and Recognizing Their Work
19:05 Maintaining Engagement and Quality Discussions
27:40 Building the Community During COVID
33:22 Commitment to the Community
38:41 Strategies for connecting with new community members
42:58 Onboarding new community members and gathering insights
46:51 Understanding the different reasons people join the community
57:26 The importance of engagement and feedback in community building
01:03:51 Creating channels and fostering engagement in the community
01:07:40 The Importance of Active Channels and Local Champions
01:09:39 The Formation of Local Groups and Meetups
01:12:00 Managing Vendors and Sponsors in Community Building
01:16:51 The Power of Exclusive In-Person Events
Using various ad formats can improve overall effectiveness.
It's important to communicate product functionalities clearly.
Building a strong pipeline is essential for growth.
Continuous improvement in advertising strategies is necessary.
Keywords
Aikido, advertising strategy, LinkedIn ads, cold layer, retargeting, conversion, testimonials, case studies, differentiation, thought leadership
Adjusted value proposition design framework (pains, gains, jobs to be done, AND changes in the environment)
Why influencer marketing is the thing to do. Why Adam believes that paid flavor of this doesn’t work. And what you should do instead
When introductory developer content is actually the play
Creating research-based content factory with an example from jFrog and Tailscale
And finally, why Adam’s is even doing this.
Chapters
00:00 The Importance of Iteration in Development
04:05 The Role of Feedback in Product Development
06:29 Understanding Intellectual Property in Tech
09:30 The Evolution of AI and Its Interfaces
12:39 The Value of Customer Feedback
14:53 The Journey of a Developer Marketer
17:38 Creating a Technical Advisory Board
20:44 The Role of Problem Framing in Marketing
36:55 Becoming an Expert: The Two Paths
39:06 The Social Nature of Development
40:02 Recruiting Top Talent: Strategies for Marketers
42:16 The Journalist Approach to Marketing
44:07 Building Authority Through Reporting
45:36 Engaging with Your Audience on Social Media
48:17 The Pitfalls of Content Marketing
51:18 Thought Leadership vs. Content Marketing
53:34 Defining Categories in Marketing
55:38 Effective Tab Interviews: Key Questions
01:00:53 Identifying Trends in Development
01:10:17 Understanding the Developer Discovery Loop
01:12:39 Understanding the Alpha Developer
01:17:49 The Importance of Free and Anonymous Products
01:21:53 Listening to Developers: The Key to Innovation
