Angel Rivera’s Post

Time for another DevRel rant: DevRel folks should speak less. There was a time when constantly traveling and speaking at events was basically the job. This isn't sustainable or healthy, and I don't mean in terms of you, Mr/Ms/Mx DevRel person. Its not healthy or sustainable for your company or the tech communities you're involved in. We're already seeing layoffs in the industry as a correction for this. We're seeing backlash from community events as more of the content schedule is filled with DevRel folks. And I know of several events that have unpublished rules around *not* accepting DevRel talks. To be quite honest, a lot of the backlash and layoffs are deserved. One thing every DevRel person should consider is: Am I the right person to tell this story or educate people about this topic? I think a lot of us default to answering "yes", but often we aren't. We just happen to be available, good at speaking, and willing to travel. I'd wager that most times, the right person to tell the story isn't going to be a DevRel, but an engineer at your company, a customer, or a community member. DevRel becomes much more sustainable when you can figure out how to enable those people to get on stage. Tech communities are healthier when you can find ways to help those voices be heard, rather than your own. Ultimately, DevRel's future success is in enabling others, not just for doing tech things, but also for education.

Current initiative for my team: "How can we enable anyone who talks to one of our user devs to talk to them as well as DevRel can talk to them?" Enabling all the teams to Tinker, Teach, and Talk about Tech (3.5 Ts of devrel is a current joke of mine) is a way to help all the teams in a company succeed with the developer persona. We shouldn't be the stars. In fact, the company shouldn't be. We should help our devs (or users) be the stars and heroes...

On seeing this discussion recently I got thinking deeply about it, it is, if it is still worth for newcomers to software taking their time and facing all the obstacles many are facing right now, regardless of being experienced or not. And I can't come with a unique answer, because it will really depend on each one and how much they are willing to take of themselves to get it done, if they have this time or not, the only thing I am most sure to say, is that it is a long term decision and not one to be expected results fast, because many still think that it is easy or fast, but it is not. Through some recent searches that I made, and I don't have any data about it but rely only on perception, I do think somethings are getting better, I see more people being hired than it was some months ago (it could be due to the growing of my network, of course) but also don't think I am ignoring the many layoffs that big techs are facing, I am not, but through the same searches I've realized many of the applications are not receiving the same amount of applicants attention as some months ago. For example, in a React role with some days running there were 92 applications by the time I saw it, some months ago it would reach +100 in minutes, and this I realized with some other roles too, I am not saying all of them are this way but it is something. And the final message I want to pass over is that while many are giving up, and it doesn't mean anything bad giving up on something that they are not seeing factual results, as there are a whole lots of jobs out there and people giving up on a job doesn't mean anything about them or who they are, but while many realize it is not something that they want doing, if and when the market goes up again, those who stayed and prepared for it, will take the profits of it, so it is a decision that must be matured and completely thought of, both for the ones who leave, and the ones who stay.

With all the tech layoffs lately I know many people want to find ways to help and support those impacted. One simple suggestion is to like and re-share their content, whether its blogs, videos, projects or other things. And this should not be limited to just people who are (like me) looking for work. We are all just people whose lives are subject to these giant corporate machines, and one of the best ways for us to combat these challenges is to help support and prop each other up by helping to draw attention to the work they do. So when you are looking at your feeds and see content pass by, think about the individual that's putting it out there, even if its not a subject that your focused on, consider that a fellow human put their passion and great effort to try to share something with the world. Some may be dishonest or disingenuous, but from what I have seen the large majority of technical content creators really care about creating quality content that offers meaningful value to people interested in the topic. I don't think there's hardly anyone alive right now that doesn't at least have some concern about the impact that AI will have on the workforce, even the most optimistic acknowledge that it will likely create significant change in workforce demands and available career options. Lets all do our best to look out for one another and help prop up our fellow humans!

Hot take from Jason Saltzman 📊 Data Live Data Technologies "There's an upside to the last 18+ months of Big Tech layoffs... More people are betting on themselves. A lot more!" ▪️In 2023, a 62% increase in laid-off Big Tech employees stepping into roles as founders. ▪️A 42% rise in those choosing to become freelancers or solopreneurs. This trend highlights a shift as more individuals bet on themselves and turn layoffs into opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Due to recent layoffs and inherent stack ranking practised in tech companies a culture of fear, distrust and insecurity has seeped in as an unwanted side effect. Here is a document to idenitfy, formalize and attempt a solution to this unwanted side effect. Do let me know your thoughts and possibility of improvement as most of us running companies are facing the same issue. #techlayoff #teamculture

How do you build a stable career in the layoffs market? (Coding isn’t the answer) I learned it from a podcast with Morgan Housel Author of the book “Same as ever” Some things never change → People will get sick → People will use money → People will shop for goods It applies to career because it applies to business Software is a novel problem Programming is 72 years old We don’t know how long it will last Finance is 3000 years old Solving money problems holds value We’re not ditching the use of money any time soon Solving money problems will hold its price A stable career doesn’t mean working in one company It means you can solve valuable problems Other people will pay you to do Software is just a vehicle What matters more is the problem you solve Stability comes from solving it better than others When everybody learns to code—learn the domain I choose Finance, and it's what I write about What's your favourite?

💡 The Real Cost of Layoffs: What We Must Consider 💡 In 2024, over 100,000 tech roles have been cut, hitting even industry giants like Microsoft Dell Technologies, and Intuit. While layoffs might seem like a quick fix for business stability, the long-term effects on engagement and morale can be devastating. (Tell us about it! 🤯) Our community sadly understands the human cost behind these numbers. Research shows rebuilding trust and morale can take up to 2 years... and we think longer with the state of the world. We must approach these decisions with empathy and transparency. Let’s support each other through these transitions. Read more over at the Harvard Business School report. https://lnkd.in/eetfHYQJ #layoffs #communitysupport #redundants #empathyatwork

In an era where layoffs headline the tech news, understanding industry trends and learning from past failures is vital. Dive into our blog to uncover crucial lessons from the tech giants and how these insights can safeguard your projects and career during turbulent times: https://bit.ly/4b3Xpx0 #TechTrends #Resilience #LearningFromFailure