651: Jason Lengstorf on CodeTV.dev, DevRel Panic, and Spicy Gear
Feb 10, 2025
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In this episode, Jason Lengstorf, a producer at CodeTV.dev, shares insights from his journey in web development and community building. He discusses the importance of DevRel and how engaging content has evolved from streaming to innovative formats like competitions. The conversation dives into the complexities of creating meaningful content in today’s fast-paced media landscape and even touches on quirky sponsorship ideas, from tech gear to barbecue sauce. Jason also shares tips on video production gear and humorous stories about spicy food!
The guest's career path illustrates the evolution of passion into a professional journey within the tech industry, starting from web development basics.
The intense pressures of running a web agency led to significant health challenges, highlighting the crucial need for mental health awareness in tech careers.
Community engagement plays a vital role in the success of tech companies, yet many struggle to recognize and fund these essential initiatives.
Deep dives
The Journey into Web Development
The guest recounts his journey into web development, beginning with creating Flash websites and custom MySpace pages for his band. His initial interest in tech stemmed from a desire to embed music on his webpage without allowing downloads, which led him to learn PHP and MySQL. Eventually, he transitioned to WordPress, discovering that creating his own content management system was no small task. This journey highlights how passion can evolve into a professional career within the tech industry.
Navigating the Stress of Running an Agency
The guest discusses the intense stress he experienced while running a web agency for a decade, resulting in significant health issues such as alopecia. The pressures of the job led him to sell the agency, taking a contract with a single client for financial stability while allowing himself time to recover. This phase of burnout emphasized the importance of mental health in the fast-paced world of web development. After this break, he found new opportunities with larger companies, like IBM and Gatsby.
Building Community Engagement
The conversation shifts to the importance of community in tech companies, particularly around Gatsby and Netlify. The guest emphasizes that strong community ties contributed to the success of these platforms, yet many companies struggle to quantify the ROI of community engagement. He reflects on how corporate decisions often cut funding for community initiatives, overlooking their long-term value. This trend reveals a disconnect between operational management and the organic growth achieved through community involvement.
Innovative Content Creation at Code TV
The guest describes his transition to creating entertaining content for developers, initially through a live-streaming series called 'Learn with Jason.' This evolved into larger projects, including a competitive show called 'Web Dev Challenge,' which showcases developers' skills in a fun format. Recently, he renamed his content brand to 'Code TV,' expanding into various formats while collaborating with other creators. This shift indicates a growing demand for engaging, story-driven content within the tech community.
The Future of Developer Entertainment
The discussion wraps up with ideas for future projects under the Code TV brand, including game shows and format innovations aimed at developers. The guest expresses an interest in involving established personalities from the tech community in friendly competitions to increase engagement. He also reflects on the unique marketing potential of aligning brand partnerships with content creators in tech. The vision for Code TV encapsulates a vibrant blend of community, education, and entertainment tailored for developers.
Jason joins us to talk about his rebranding to CodeTV.dev, how Chris Coyier helped him become a star, the power of free, how he makes money with CodeTV, sponsorship and tech shows, crappy web cams, and the gear he uses to look and sound amazing.
Jason Lengstorf is the producer of CodeTV.dev, where he helps tech companies connect with developer communities through better devrel strategy and media.
