This is an incredible moment at Root: we’re about to launch the v1.0 developer program for the world’s first community sandbox platform.  

Root succeeds when developers succeed. Every decision we make about how we support our developer ecosystem matters not just to developers, but to every user on Root.  

Even if you’re not a builder today, if you’re on Root, you’ll use the apps developers create.

The goal then is to enable developers to build experiences that community leaders use to power amazing communities.  

Who am I?

I’m Adrian Stevens, Root’s COO. I have over 20 years of engineering experience, but more importantly, I’ve worked with developers at both startups and established companies. And I’m excited to take what I’ve learned and make building on Root an amazing experience.

What is Developer Relations?

I define Developer Relations, or DevRel, as the strategy, systems, and support for third-party developers.

This includes attracting developers to Root, creating a great first-touch experience in our developer systems, supporting developers through the build process, and ensuring developers continue to be successful after publishing v1.0.

Or said simply:

‍Attract → Engage → Support → Retain

At Root, the app building experience is so important, it feels like launching another product along-side Root. Internally I often refer to our Developer Relations strategy as a Developer Product.  

Why is this important now?

Root will be opening up the Root App Store to third-party developers in the next few weeks.

That means we need to make sure developers have what they need to be successful: clear docs, useful examples, direct support, and a developer experience that makes Root feel worth building on.

So we’re approaching Developer Relations at Root around three ideas:

Build in the open

We will build Root’s developer strategy in the open. Developers have told us they want to know what we’re creating, why we’re creating it, and have the opportunity to give input every step of the way.

A strong developer program is shaped with the people who are going to build on it.

Developers have a choice

Most Developer Relations programs are built for businesses, where developers typically use APIs because of a leadership decision or customer requirement. Even the term “Developer Relations” sounds corporate. We won’t just ship the usual docs and samples and expect devs to care.

Root developers will choose if and when they want to build on Root. Your time and trust matter.

Apps are community experiences

And finally, building on Root isn’t just about the joy of developing, it’s about building things humans use.

Root apps can help communities make decisions, coordinate events, play games, share ideas, and solve problems. Apps are experiences that show up directly inside a community.

That means our developer experience needs to do two things at once: make it quick and simple to get started, while giving developers the power and control they need to build something meaningful.

What’s Next?

The first phase is about making it easy to start.

We’ll be launching developer-specific Root social accounts so developers can stay up to date. We’re finalizing our v1.0 developer docs, launching a new samples repo on GitHub, and making changes to the Root developer community so it is as easy as possible for developers to talk directly to the Root team and get help building Apps and Bots.

After that, we’ll focus on making it easier to ship.

That means updates to Root’s Developer Portal, improved app publishing tools, better samples, and more support for developers as they move from first build to published app.

Let’s build it

This is the start of Root’s developer program.

We’re going to listen, learn, and improve the experience as developers build on Root. All with the goal of making Root an amazing place to build apps that help communities thrive.

If you’re a developer, community leader, or someone who just has ideas for what Root apps should make possible, we want to hear from you. You can talk directly with the Root team in our developer community.

Now let’s build!

Adrian Stevens
COO, Root