HOW TO DEVREL: The Most Un-Natural Act

The most un-natural act in DevRel, according to the author, is getting conference attendees to try a vendor's software during the event. They explain that this act may seem impossible, as conference attendees are typically focused on enjoying talks, networking, and collecting free swag. The author shares a method they have tested over three years at nearly 20 events, which has consistently resulted in a 10% sign-up rate for attendees.

This rate significantly increases with larger events, with up to 300 sign-ups at a 3,000-person event and 300 sign-ups at a 30,000-person event. The author attributes the limitation of 5,000 attendees to the fact that not everyone will visit the vendor booth.

To achieve this significant sign-up rate, the author employs a multi-step approach. First, they incorporate their monitoring and observability software into a game, creating a side-scrolling game with additional monitoring stats such as CPU, RAM, and network performance. Next, they build a dashboard to showcase the game's performance metrics.

The attendees are then invited to play the game and observe the real-time monitoring data in the vendor's portal. This method engages attendees and naturally leads to conversations about the practical applications of the software.

The key to the "most un-natural act" lies in offering a reward to attendees who successfully install the game and launch the dashboard. The author emphasizes that the reward should be enticing but not overly expensive. Instead, they provide desirable prizes such as Ember mugs, Raspberry Pis, and LED D&D dice. These rewards not only incentivize attendees to download and try the software but also create a "cool" factor that motivates them to engage with the vendor's offerings.

By following this approach, DevRel professionals can effectively promote their software at conferences and achieve a substantial sign-up rate.