Why I'm Learning Marketing as a Developer

I’ve written 2 blog posts, never edited a YouTube video, don’t have a large social media following. But I do have one thing going for me, I can create just about any software tool you can imagine. Being a developer is still sort of a super power even in 2023 with the rise of no-code, automation and AI. However, it’s not the most important superpower. That is reserved for great marketers, they’re like superheros of the digital age. Let me elaborate.

As a developer, you can create anything. I’m a builder at my core so I love dreaming up an idea and piece by piece taking idea to reality. However, in a real sense, the only reason to build things is for people to use. So in an age where anything can be built with software, what’s the missing ingredient? It’s people. People are the scarce resource of the internet. This is where marketers come in.

Marketers are people engineers. They understand how people work and can tell a compelling story to illustrate the value of a great product. This does require having an actually great product — which is easier said than done. Marketers know where people go. They know how to create value-adds where potential customers, readers or subscribers are. Not slimy, click-bait schemes, actual value adding content, tools, etc. They go to the people and help get your tool in front of the people who will use it. This takes many forms, but it all comes back to people, the scarce resource of the internet.

A lot of people get a bad taste in their mouth when the word ‘marketing’ is mentioned. I think this is because people often confuse marketing with sales. Great marketers aren’t sales people, they’re story tellers and value-adders. Marketers know how to take a great product and get it in front of real humans who will benefit from using, reading or otherwise consuming the product. This is fundamentally different than sales, which is more of a persuasive process. In my mind, great marketers simply know how to identify a great product that solves a real problem and then tell that story to people who will benefit.

Additionally, marketing in 2023 is not what most people would think of as marketing. Imagine meeting someone on the street who introduced themselves as a marketer. I used to picture a Don Draper like character, a lofty executive in a glass corner office or an untouchable super personality. In reality, marketers are just people who know how to tell a story on YouTube, craft a great Instagram post or write a great article that will improve a reader’s life. Marketers aren’t sales people, they’re not lofty executives, rather they’re simply great story tellers who bring awareness to great products.

I know I can develop a good product. However, I’m not sure I can build the right product or harder yet, get anyone to use it. That’s why I’m learning marketing. If building is all about the people using it, then you should start there. Start by talking to people, adding value where ever you can. Then, when the time is right, build a great product for people. I’ve tried to do the reverse, and I ended up with a tool that I thought was great, but no one knew about.

I’m not giving up, rather focusing on putting the horse before the carriage. Ultimately I want to build things that improve people’s lives. Weather that be a kitchen table, software tool or side-business. Building things brings me great joy, but I want people to enjoy and use the things I use. That’s why I’m learning marketing.