What is DevRel Uni?

As a software engineer, I've always been fascinated by the power of technology to bridge communication gaps and connect people from all over the world. When I heard about DevRel Uni, a 4-week certifying course that promised to teach the skills needed to excel in the Developer Relations (DevRel) field, I was intrigued.

I've always been drawn to roles that involve both technical and interpersonal skills, and DevRel seemed like the perfect fit. I wanted to learn how to effectively communicate complex technical information to different audiences, including developers, end customers, and non-technical stakeholders. I was also excited to learn how to generate never-ending content ideas and repurpose content to showcase products.

The course was designed to cover all the fundamental aspects of DevRel, and it did not disappoint. We learned about the different technologies and tools required for a successful career in DevRel, as well as the strategies to stay on top of the rapidly changing business landscape.

Video on DevRel Uni:

The Mentors

The stacked mentors alone were reason enough to take this course. Each week had one mentor focusing on specific topics within the DevRel role. Each of the mentors are certifiable GOATs in DevRel. I was actually surprised to see who the mentors were going to be in the very first cohort.

What Each Week Holds

Week 1: Understanding the DevRel Position | Content, Personal Branding, and Social Media

In the first week, participants learned about the DevRel position and what to expect while working as a DevRel directly from the creator of DevRel Uni, Bianca Buzea (Twitter: @buzea200). Bianca has years of experience working as a DevRel and has put together an amazing course with some of the most iconic DevRels in the industry.

Her experience as a DevRel really shined while she guided the 1st cohort through the program. 10/10 would take another course from her.

Nader Dabit (Twitter: @dabit3), one of the most iconic DevRels in the industry, taught the importance of content, personal branding, and social media. His entire philosophy on being a "Bridge Builder" and not a Gatekeeper was what really sold many on wanting to become a DevRel. Nader shared a poem called "The Bridge Builder" by Will Allen Dromgoole that serves as a reminder of what it means to be a DevRel advocate. I even printed the poem and hung it as a wall as to what I aspire to emulate as continue to pursue a career in DevRel.

Week 2: Documentation Strategy

Michiel Mulders (Twitter: @michiel_mulders), the Developer Advocate and Documentation Strategist at Hedera Hashgraph, provided a deep dive into the importance of documentation strategy. Everyone learned about the various tools available for documentation, best practices, and how to attract more builders using the documentation. He even shared some of his own strategies to create documentation that is both informative and attractive to developers.

Week 3: Strategies, KPIs, and Metrics

Vitto Rivabella (Twitter: @VittoStack), who I'm officially dubbing as "The Gary V of Web3," spoke about strategies, KPIs, and metrics. We learned about the importance of KPIs while being reminded to never dwell or operate solely on them. No wonder Vitto is so well known in the Web3 space. He could talk about anything and I'd feel energized afterward. I'm definitely keeping a close eye on his schedule to see if I can catch him speaking live.

Week 4: Event Strategies

The final week of the course ended with the one and only Steph Orpilla (Twitter: @Oceans404), a Developer Relations Engineer at Polygon. Steph spoke about event strategies such as meetups, hackathons, and conferences. Her unique approach to every event differently and giving herself unique goals to achieve at each event was very enlightening as to how we should approach live and online events.

The Course Work

The coursework revolved around a specific open-source project of each participant's choice, encouraging creativity and engagement with the wider tech community. Many students were even directly connected to the DevRel teams of the protocols they had chosen, leading to potential job placements within DevRel teams.

Overall Experience

For the 1st cohort of DevRel Uni, the experience was 10/10 stars. Participants quickly became connected with each other and still communicate actively despite the program being done. The knowledge gained in this course has transformed what many want to do with their tech careers. If you're looking for a position that truly feels right for you, DevRel might be it.

Want to Join the Next Cohort?

Signups for the 2nd Cohort of DevRel Uni were announced TODAY (March 14, 2023). Here is a link to SIGN UP NOW! Remember, spots for the 1st cohort filled up very quickly, so be sure to sign up quickly!