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Dev tool adoption is hard. We write about making it less hard.

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Why Developers Drop Off Before Their First API Call (And How to Fix It)
AHA Moment

Why Developers Drop Off Before Their First API Call (And How to Fix It)

Your docs aren't the problem. Your onboarding was built for developers who already chose you—not the ones still deciding. Here's what's actually killing activation.

Tessa Kriesel · Mar 7, 2026 · 6 min read
Developer Journey Map: 5 Stages to Reduce Dev Churn
Credibility

Developer Journey Map: 5 Stages to Reduce Dev Churn

You've fixed your docs. Added a quickstart. Shipped features based on feedback. And retention is still flat. The problem isn't your product. It's where you stopped looking. Most teams treat Build like the finish line. They optimize the hell out of getting developers from sign-up to first API call, then wonder why those developers don't stick around. The developer journey has five stages—and if you're only investing in the middle ones, you're leaking developers at both ends without knowing it.

Tessa Kriesel · Mar 6, 2026 · 2 min read
Feature Roadmaps Don't Drive Market Fit—Positive Experiences Do
Problem Fit

Feature Roadmaps Don't Drive Market Fit—Positive Experiences Do

Most dev tool founders prioritize features over moments. Learn why successful founders map emotional milestones instead of shipping more features.

Tessa Kriesel · Mar 1, 2026 · 3 min read
Why Most DevRel Programs Fail (And the Revenue-First Framework That Fixes It)
Developer Relations

Why Most DevRel Programs Fail (And the Revenue-First Framework That Fixes It)

Most DevRel teams can't survive a budget review. This developer adoption playbook reframes DevRel as a revenue function with measurable outcomes.

Tessa Kriesel · Feb 26, 2026 · 7 min read
You've Talked to 50 Developers. You Still Don't Know What to Build.
Problem Fit

You've Talked to 50 Developers. You Still Don't Know What to Build.

Your users, community, and network can't give you the signal you need. Here's why your current developer feedback is structurally broken—and what actually works.

Tessa Kriesel · Feb 20, 2026 · 4 min read
Your NPS Score Is Lying to You About Developer Satisfaction
AHA Moment

Your NPS Score Is Lying to You About Developer Satisfaction

Developers give you a 7. Then they leave. NPS measures politeness, not intent. Here's what behavioral data actually shows about developer adoption.

Tessa Kriesel · Feb 3, 2026 · 3 min read
How Developers Evaluate Your Software Product
AHA Moment

How Developers Evaluate Your Software Product

Developers don’t just adopt products—they advocate for the ones that make building effortless. If your developer journey and experience is frictionless, intuitive, and lets them dive right in, they won’t just use it—they’ll tell other developers about it.

Tessa Kriesel · Jan 29, 2025 · 4 min read
How a Developer Navigates Your Product Website Homepage
AHA Moment

How a Developer Navigates Your Product Website Homepage

Developers scroll your homepage quickly to get a general sense of your product, then head directly to your docs. In the docs, they're looking to understand your product under-the-hood, if it integrates with their current stack and tool set, and if it solves their problems.

Tessa Kriesel · Jan 27, 2025 · 4 min read
Best Questions for Developer Product Founders to Ask Their Users and Prospects
Problem Fit

Best Questions for Developer Product Founders to Ask Their Users and Prospects

Successful dev tool founders use these questions to understand their users to get real feedback that shapes product strategy, from finding product-market fit to knowing where to invest resources.

Tessa Kriesel · Nov 11, 2024 · 2 min read
Why Aren't Devs Adopting Your Tool? JTBD Will Tell You
Problem Fit

Why Aren't Devs Adopting Your Tool? JTBD Will Tell You

Struggling with slow adoption? Learn how Jobs to be Done can uncover hidden value in your dev tool and guide your path to product-market fit.

Tessa Kriesel · Sep 27, 2024 · 3 min read
Jobs To Be Done and Dev Tools
Problem Fit

Jobs To Be Done and Dev Tools

Developers are discerning and pragmatic; they simply don't engage with tools that fail to address a critical need in their workflow.

Tessa Kriesel · Sep 13, 2024 · 1 min read
Audit leads to #1 Product Hunt Product of the Day & Week for AI-powered Data Scraping Dev Tool, AgentQL
AHA Moment

Audit leads to #1 Product Hunt Product of the Day & Week for AI-powered Data Scraping Dev Tool, AgentQL

Learn how a developer experience audit transformed AgentQL's product, leading to a #1 Product Hunt launch and increased user engagement.

Tessa Kriesel · Jul 31, 2024 · 3 min read
How You Know You’re Ready to Hire a Developer Advocate
Developer Relations

How You Know You’re Ready to Hire a Developer Advocate

Bringing on a developer advocate without a clear strategy is like hiring a captain for a ship without a destination or a map.

Tessa Kriesel · Jul 25, 2024 · 5 min read
When to Hire DevRel: The Million-Dollar Question
Developer Relations

When to Hire DevRel: The Million-Dollar Question

When should you bring DevRel into your organization? TLDR: They should co-lead your product beta program.

Tessa Kriesel · Jul 21, 2024 · 3 min read
Compelling Messaging for Developer Tools: A Step-by-Step Guide
Discoverability

Compelling Messaging for Developer Tools: A Step-by-Step Guide

In the competitive world of developer tools, having a great product isn't enough. You need messaging that resonates with your target audience and clearly communicates your value proposition. As a go-to-market strategist specializing in developer tools, I've honed a process that helps companies create messaging that truly speaks to developers. Let's walk through this step-by-step guide. Step 1: Identify the Job to be Done The foundation of compelling messaging lies in understanding the core pr

Tessa Kriesel · Jul 8, 2024 · 2 min read

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