From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

From Developer to DevRel

How the Android community helped me grow

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Who am I?

  • Sr Android Developer Advocate at Vonage
  • Android Developer for 12+ years
  • DevRel for 18+ months
  • Pet Dad
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

The Past

The early days of Android communities

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

The Present

Current community and DevRel!

(And memes)

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

You

How can you get involved?

Leasons learned!

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

(for me)

It all started with...

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

XDA

Launched in 2002

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

XDA

Originally named after the O2 XDA

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

XDA

Exploded in popularity around Android

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

XDA

Device specific sub forums

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Early Communities

Early communities built out of "hacking"

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Early Communities

App Development

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Early Communities

Custom Android (ROMs)

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Early Communities

Theming

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Early Communities

Kernel Tweaks

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Early Communities

Root

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

How do you know they're the one?

  • Amazing support and guidance
  • Open and Free
  • Collaboration
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

How do you know they're the one?

Not Apple

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Shaped my Career

University for Computer Science + Game Design

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Shaped my Career

Android Community opened new options

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Shaped my Career

Networking

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Freelance

  • 6+ years freelancing
  • Moderator on XDA
  • Events, Meetups, Conferences
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

LinuxOnAndroid

  • (GNU) Linux on Android devices via Chroot
  • Personal project grew into a job
  • Amazing support from the community
  • 1+ million downloads
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Contracting

  • Working with companies across the world!
  • Building a tablet/desktop hybrid
  • Amazing experience all because of Android
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Move into Developer Relations

Time for a change

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Move into Developer Relations

Discovering DevRel changed everything

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Move into Developer Relations

I was already doing it!

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Move into Developer Relations

Balance of Code and Community

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

Where Marketing, Developers and Product Managers meet

Source: medium.com/@edshee

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

The three C's

Code, Content, Community.

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

Content

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

Code

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

Community

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

Connecting Internal Developers with External Developers

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

Help developers be successful with the tools a company offers

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

Bridges the gap between company and community

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

What is DevRel?

Stickers

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

DevRel in Nutshell

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Thnks fr th Mmrs

  • Stefanie Kondik - CyanogenMod
  • Chainfire - Root
  • Jerdog/Jeremy - Mentoring
  • XDA Moderators
  • XDA Users
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Android Community Now

Community³

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Community³

Socials

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Community³

Discord/Slack servers

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Community³

Meetup groups

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Community³

Events!

@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Get Involved!

  • Attend Events ✔️
  • Join social media communities
  • Create content!
  • Ask questions
  • Help others
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Lessons learnt

  • No such thing as dumb questions
  • Huge wealth of resource
  • Collaboration = Great Success
  • Bricking phones sucks.
@devwithzachary
From Developer to DevRel, how the Android community helped me grow

Thank you!

polywork.com/devwithzachary

github.com/devwithzachary/presentations

@devwithzachary

Can anyone beat me? Did anyone start older? G1?

https://medium.com/@edshee/developer-relations-explained-c1cce2ea53a8