Collectively, the team at DevRel.agency has almost a century of #devrel experience! We thought you would like to learn more about who we are.
Let’s meet Dana Fujikawa.
Dana, an Associate at DevRel.Agency, started as a software engineer, first in business apps, then landed his dream job doing video game development for Electronic Arts Canada. He eventually moved into technical writing and documenting EA's internal animation technology, which expanded into becoming a developer advocate. Developer Relations (DevRel) wasn’t very well known then, and even Dana didn’t realize that his role had evolved into the DevRel realm (a similar story for many of us). After EA, he started a technical writing consultancy to help other companies communicate to their developer audiences.
Similar to many of us in DevRel.Agency, Dana was on the front lines as a developer, so he understands the needs, wants, and thought processes of developers. Given his technical background, Dana is often our lead developer on projects. He’s passionate about learning all the technical details and “getting in the weeds” with developers. His area of expertise is Developer Experience and friction audits with our DEFT reports. It gives him a chance to critique all touchpoints of the developer journey to the nth degree (we tease him that he was born with a red pen in his hand!). At the same time, he also enjoys creating content like blogs, whitepapers, and technical documentation because it's an opportunity to bridge the gap between company marketing and developer success.
Why is DevRel Exciting?
When asked to explain why he joined DevRel.Agency, he said, “I crossed paths with Caroline Lewko around 2016, who formally introduced me to DevRel consulting. It's interesting to reflect on the events that brought us together, but what attracted me to DevRel was its synergy with my previous experience in development and technical communications.”
Dana found working in DevRel very exciting because of the fast pace and the many ways to make a real difference in companies aiming to align with their developer audiences.
As mentioned above, he enjoys creating Developer Experience and Friction Tool (DEFT) reports to help companies understand how to improve their developers’ journey.
At DevRel.Agency, Dana also uses his development skills for writing technical blogs and documentation, which help developers discover, learn, and get started faster. One of his favorite parts of working as a consultant is to meet with clients , attend events, and share insight on trends and new technologies. Dana also loves the positive reactions (e.g. likes, shares, etc.) for pieces of content he’s written, so don’t forget to share or give him a ♥ ️ or 👍the next time you read one of his articles. From a strategic standpoint, the reward for him at the end of a project is to reflect on how we've helped a company move the needle forward in building its DevRel program.
What's Trending in DevRel?
As the DevRel industry matures and evolves, it is no longer just in the tech industry. It’s moved into many other sectors like government, fintech, education, and entertainment, to mention a few. The developer programs within these industries are a fine balance between ROI/sales for the company while supporting a community that can help build better and innovative platforms, help test features, or give feedback on the relevant features valuable for product design and management. From what Dana has observed, more companies have moved towards SaaS solutions and integrations, and the overall API economy, so even traditional non-tech companies like manufacturers, are becoming more technology-oriented.
With DevRel playing such an inherent role in guiding business-to-developer (B2D) objectives, leading-edge companies today need an effective DevRel strategy and program to leverage current and future technology advancements successfully.
When Dana is not helping build DevRel programs, he’s an avid mountain biker and can be found in BC's North Shore mountains throughout the year. He loves the outdoors and also plays badminton, races RC cars competitively in the summer, and enjoys woodworking.
Need help identifying friction in your Developers’ Journey or smoothing out your Documentation so you can better communicate with your developer audience? Connect with Dana on LinkedIn, and learn more about our Developer Experience Friction Tool (DEFT) Report here.