How does developer product marketing fundamentally change when you're targeting enterprise companies as buyers?

If you've spent time in the world of individual developer marketing, you know it's about passion, about the thrill of building something new. But when you step into the enterprise, things shift dramatically.You're not selling a dream anymore; you're selling stability, reliability, and a solution to a very real problem.

It's not just about the code anymore. It's about how that code fits into a massive, intricate machine. Enterprise developers aren't just building siloed projects; they're solving intricate and complex web of business challenges. They're dealing with systems that have been around for decades, and they need to make sure that whatever new tool they bring in doesn't break everything else.

What changes? It's all about "context".

It's not enough to know your product inside and out. You need to understand their world. What are the specific challenges they face when deploying in their environment? What tools and platforms do they rely on? It’s not just about "can your product work here?" but "how seamlessly does it work here, and how can we make it even better?" You've got to solve problems in their specific context, not just in a generic demo environment. It's like a doctor diagnosing a patient; you need to understand their medical history, not just their current symptoms.

What needs to change in the narrative?

Flashy demos showcasing the latest, coolest feature are cool. but not enough. Enterprises aren't looking for fireworks; they're looking for reliability and simplicity. The story you tell needs to be about making their lives easier, about helping them succeed within their organizations. Think of it like a seasoned architect presenting a blueprint; it's about the structural integrity and the functionality.

And here's where certifications and expert recognition come into play. They're not just badges; they're proof of competence, a way for developers to elevate their standing within their teams and organizations. It's about empowering them to be heroes in their own right.

Are there new opportunities?

Here's where things get interesting. The funnels you're building aren't isolated; they're interconnected. Partner with other marketing teams, explore how your developer community can amplify their efforts, and vice versa. Imagine creating a trusted network of elite developers, a council of experts who can speak on your behalf, provide feedback on new functionalities to PMs, and even become thought leaders in their own right. Look at the entire system like an orchestra, where each instrument plays its part to create a harmonious whole. I've seen many places where developer marketing exists in a silo. That's a recipe for a mediocre engagement or value. See how it fits into the broader puzzle

Avoid the "Cool thing" trap.

Yes, the latest, most cutting-edge features are exciting. But they're the cherry on top, not the main course. The real value lies in being helpful, in providing practical solutions to real-world problems. Don't get me wrong, the "cool factor" can be a great hook, but it's the helpfulness that builds lasting relationships and drives long-term success. It's the difference between a fleeting trend and a timeless classic.

Be very clear who your buyer is. When going after the enterprise, developers are not your buyer. They are one very influential piece of the puzzle though. Developers will be your end users but ultimately the buyer is likely at the VP level. 

To build your champions, first build a product they will love and see value out of right off the bat. Give them technical use cases, sandboxes, demos, AMAs with your product teams and/or dev teams, and GREAT documentation to win them over. Do not talk to them about business benefits, they aren't likely to care.

That is the message for the buyer. Developers will listen more to getting them out of tedious tasks that they straight up don't want to do on repeat. 

In this area, developer marketing isn't that unlike core product marketing, in that the customer journey for Enterprise is more complex. For smaller companies, all phases of the funnel may be targeted at developers. For medium companies, your awareness and marketing may go to decision makers vs your adoption marketing towards developers. For larger companies, things get a bit more complex: You may have decision makers who think about technology (IT, Product, etc), decision makers that think about the future (Business Owners, Innovation teams), Developers that do the work (junior level Devs) and Developers that set direction and give guidance (senior level Devs). You’ll also have companies that choose to build in house vs companies that choose to leverage a partner. So your PMM work will have to matrix across the funnel by persona. 

Developer product marketing does not change once you start targeting enterprise buyers. In my view, you "bolt -on" the enterprise motion on top of your DevRel motions. Product Marketing takes an active role in going after the enterprise buyer while DevRel continues engaging with the Developer persona. Product marketing is the function that gets bolted on in your GTM motion.

The biggest things to keep in mind when selling to enterprise are the concepts of:

• Multithreading

• ABM

• Personalization

• peer influence

With these three things in mind, for developer segments the fundamentals don't necessarily change - it just becomes more important to index on the things devs care about:

• multithreading: info sec, cto, engineering lead

• abm: lead with value and outcomes (efficiency metrics, reducing dev load so they can ship faster with less review cycles)

• personalization: use intent technologies to serve just in time messaging

• peer influence: this audience will research so ensure your third-party review sites are polished/positive and you're active in adjacent developer communities.