Ep. 39 | Lifting as you Climb: Cassidy Williams on DevRel, Mentorship, and Building for Developers

Summary

In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany, Brittany, and Erika are joined by Cassidy Williams, Senior Director of Developer Advocacy at GitHub. They discuss Cassidy's journey in the Developer Relations (DevRel) space, her philosophy of lifting others as she climbs, and the evolution of DevRel in the tech industry. Cassidy shares insights on content creation, the importance of community, and her personal experiences with mentorship. The conversation also touches on the challenges and changes in the DevRel landscape, as well as Cassidy's passion for keyboards and her dream typing experience.

Takeaways

• Feedback, even when rough, is a valuable gift for growth.
• DevRel is evolving, adapting to new technologies and community needs.
• Companies should prioritize understanding the developer mindset over follower counts.
• Listening to developers is crucial for effective advocacy and content creation.
• Human problems in tech are often more complex than coding challenges.
• Cassidy's journey showcases the blend of engineering and advocacy roles.
• Mentorship plays a significant role in career development and guidance.

Links

• Cassidy’s website: https://cassidoo.co/
• Microjournal Blog Post: https://cassidoo.co/post/micro-journal/
• Keycaps: https://drop.com/buy/drop-dsa-astrolokeys-keycaps-by-sailorhg-and-cassidoo?defaultSelectionIds=966968
• Cassidy’s mechanical keyboard recs: https://github.com/cassidoo/ama?tab=readme-ov-file#what-mechanical-keyboard-should-i-buy

Hosts

• Overcommitted: https://overcommitted.dev
• Bethany Janos: https://github.com/bethanyj28
• Brittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.com
• Eggyhead: https://github.com/eggyhead