HACKER Q&A
📣 recvonline

Is being a DevRel a dead end?


Hey folks! I have 10+ years experience as a SE. Mainframe, backend, frontend. I am getting slowly tired of “just coding”, and was a Solutions Architect in the past.

Now I am getting job offers for a Developer Relations role, which sounds really fun (Writing Docs, Events, hands-on coding etc)

But I wonder, once this is in my CV, I can never apply again as an IC or other technical roles ever again!

Can someone share their experience or expertise on this?

  👤 Shinmon Accepted Answer ✓
As others said, DevRel is a technical role. DevRel is more or less a technical marketing, but that means that you have to understand the tech and the customrs problems.

It's a great way to stay technical, drive business value and interact with many people on a regular basis.

> Writing Docs, Events, hands-on coding etc

That actually does sound fun, much more fun than building systems to be honest.

👤 tooltitude
IMO, a good devrel at a good company is a technical role. I have seen people with such a title move back and forth between DevRel and IC. It's definitely possible.
👤 throwawaysalome
never apply again as an IC ever again!

You're already at that stage. Lean into the fact that you're only considered valuable as a go-between, and before you know it you'll be the next Satya Nadella or Sundar Pichai.