A successful developer tool is built on the career success of the developers who use it. To win, you have to earn a place not just in the hearts of developers, but in their ambitions. It sounds daunting, but remember this: most tools are awful. Yours is better. The trick is making sure that actually creates impacts for people, like job security, promotions and other career growth. Think about it: how many people learned React because they wanted to get a job?

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You don’t have to wing it

You can just ask what people want from their careers. You can ask what’s getting in their way. You can ask what your tool needs to do to become part of their daily routine. I call this the Dev Superpower Interview, and it’s a way to reliably learn about career journeys. The results will inform everything from product marketing to your roadmap. It’s the best way to clear the mud off your windshield.
A note on researchYou’ve been told before to talk to your users and do interviews. Too often, these interviews focus on your product first, not what your users want for themselves. Whether or not you already talk to your users, a focus on career trajectory will help you get more from your conversations.

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Preparing to interview

If possible, start with people who are either already really interested in your product, or already succeeding with it. If you’ve gotten any testy emails from frustrated users, you might want to talk to them also. Get committments from at least six people for a 30 minute conversation. Make clear you want to understand them better, so you can make your product more likely to serve their needs.

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Asking questions

Your job is to learn from your users, but not to take marching orders. It’s up to you to decide whether to double down based on what you learn, or to course-correct. Sometimes you might do both.
  1. Tell me about your path into software: use this to learn how this developer got where they are. You might find that your tools are particularly helpful for some origins, and less for others.
  2. Tell me about a tool that shaped you as a developer: use this to learn about the expectations developers are bringing to your product. Developer experience is cultural, and some tools have very different cultures from others.
  3. Tell me what you want next in your career: this can be a pivotal question, especially if you’re seeking bottom-up, developer-led growth. Understanding what developers are trying to achieve, and how you can grease the skids with your product, can help you make better decisions.
  4. Tell me what tools you use alongside mine: this knowledge is an essential detail for your roadmap, product marketing and documentation. All developer tools exist within larger ecosystems. The right integrations make you more likely to win new developers.
  5. Tell me what works great about our product, and what kind of sucks: now it’s time to ask about your own product. But with all the personal context filled in, any feedback you’re getting here will be easier to calibrate.
By combining your insight and expertise on your problem space with a better picture of how your die-hard users are trying to grow as professionals, you can make better bets. If you did this and only this, you’re going to be in a stronger position than most.

Book an intro call

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Reach out for a one day, custom-tailored intensive to get clear how your users’ needs turn into career outcomes.