Building a Web Developer Community

Summary

The client for this engagement was a traditional packaged software company that found itself competing to create APIs, developer tools and a web platform. The client was well-versed in software tools, but lacked platform knowledge. It also faced difficulty on the competitive front, with Google and Microsoft now major competitors. Rubicon helped them understand developer needs and updated the client as to how developers viewed the organization. The client also asked Rubicon to help it understand the open source world - including how to work and partner with other companies. As a result, the client company is enjoying unprecedented success within the web developer community.

About the client

The client is a software company that develops, markets and sells packaged product software for professionals and consumers.

The challenge

This client experienced two critical problems. First, it needed to understand how to construct a platform that others would then extend and want to work with. Second, the company had to develop an understanding of web people, including ways to get people enthused about their platform and ways the firm could enable others to succeed.

The work

Rubicon spoke at length with many developers for the client company, interviewing them to find out their likes and dislikes as well as their unedited viewpoint about the client. What Rubicon delivered was crucial feedback accompanied by strategic plans for what to do next based upon the anecdotes and perceptions gleaned from the developer community.

Keys to success

Rubicon delivered an understanding of the issues involved and educated the client as to what motivates developers when it comes to working with a specific platform. Principals at Rubicon revealed the best way the scenario would play out for the client and painted a picture of that success so that the client knew what needed to be done on a macro level.

The results

Because Rubicon decoded the real meaning behind platforms and the web developer culture, the client heard and used the information to its benefit. The client has achieved broad developer buy-in, effectively communicated its strategy to financial and industry analysts and is executing with great success.