Justin Johhnson - Developer relations at KeenIO

Titus interviews Justin Johnson, a developer evangelist at Keen IO, talks about his role and experiences in the industry. He discusses how his role has evolved from traveling to different communities and hackathons to creating content, networking with other evangelists, and organizing events as Keen IO grew. Johnson emphasizes the importance of creating individual connections with developers and being genuinely helpful. He also highlights the network effects of developer evangelism and the challenges of measuring success in this role. Johnson shares strategies such as using Twitter to engage with developers and hosting their own events in less represented communities. He concludes by discussing interesting encounters he had while traveling for events and emphasizes the importance of being genuine, having fun, and listening as key aspects of successful developer evangelism. 00:00:00 - Justin Johnson elaborates on his journey from road-traveling evangelist to content-focused role at analytics firm Keen IO. He discusses transitioning from visiting hackathons and communities to focusing more on content creation, partnerships, and in-house analytics. 00:05:00 - Johnson talks about crucial milestones in evangelism for an API company. Initially, the aim is product refinement and user experience. As the company matures, focus shifts to broader awareness and resource development. Johnson emphasizes the power of authentic, one-on-one connections in building brand advocates. 00:10:00 - Johnson delves into the 'network effects' of developer evangelism. He compares the tangible impact of connecting deeply with people to the often less-visible benefits of coding. He mentions the growing need for metrics like cohort analysis to gauge the effectiveness of evangelistic efforts. 00:15:00 - Johnson discusses measuring the impact of developer outreach events. Twitter is highlighted as an especially effective digital channel. He also shares the success of a Hacker News article and the importance of hosting authentic, laid-back events in underrepresented communities. 00:20:00 - Johnson shares anecdotes from his travel experiences to different developer events. These stories underline the serendipity and broad reach of his networking efforts. He identifies three pillars of effective evangelism: authenticity, enjoyment, and attentive listening. 00:25:00 - In concluding, Johnson expresses his interest in measuring evangelism effectiveness and mentions his open-source projects related to analytics. He ends with a note of gratitude and anticipation for future collaborations and discussions.