Classics
These books are essential reads for working with the Digital Toolkit.
OAuth 2.0 Simplified
https://www.amazon.com/OAuth-2-0-Simplified-Aaron-Parecki/dp/1387751514/
This book covers a lot of OAuth 2.0 topics including:
- Access Tokens
- Redirect URIs
- Refresh Tokens
- Authorization Code Flow
- Client Credentials Flow
- PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange)
- Single-Page Apps (SPAs), Mobile, and Native Apps
- OpenID Connect (OIDC)
The Business Value of Developer Relations: How and Why Technical Communities Are Key To Your Success
https://www.amazon.com/Business-Value-Developer-Relations-Communities-dp-1484237471/dp/1484237471/
If you’re looking for a lot of background on the Developer Relations profession itself, then the classic book by Mary Thengvall is a good read.
Developer Marketing
Developer Marketing Does Not Exist
https://www.amazon.com/Developer-Marketing-Does-Not-Exist/dp/173702960X/
This book is a fairly light read. It has less info that’s directly applicable to what DevRel folks do (although there are some good nuggets), but I found it valuable to better understand the kinds of things that Marketing is (or is likely) to do.
Developer Marketing and Relations: The Essential Guide (3rd Edition)
https://www.amazon.com/Developer-Marketing-Relations-Essential-Guide-ebook/dp/B07XM8GDD9/
This book has 19 chapters, each written from the perspective of a Developer Marketer, Developer Relations, or similar professional from various companies who run a developer relations program of some sort. There’s tons of good info in here for Marketers and DevRel folks alike. Not all of it is directly applicable to what we do, but most of it is (even with some adaptation for our circumstances).
Business Strategy
7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy
https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319/
This book provides insights into how businesses obtain power (“the set of conditions creating the potential for persistent differential returns”) and how they build strategy (“a route to continuing power in significant markets”). Reading this book will give an insight into how our company makes decisions by describing each of the “7 Powers” which a business could have:
- Scale Economies
- Network Economies
- Switching Costs
- Counter-Positioning
- Branding
- Cornered Resource
- Process Power
Radical Focus: Achieving Your Most Important Goals with Objectives and Key Results
https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Focus-Achieving-Important-Objectives/dp/0996006087
This book covers the topic of “Objective and Key Results (OKRs)” and how to use them effectively. It also has the idea of what a “mission” is and how it relates to OKRs.
The first 1/3rd of the book presents the concepts of OKRs in the form of a fable, which may be off-putting to some folks. The fable is worthwhile to read if that’s your jam, but otherwise isn’t strictly necessary.
Think Like a Brand, Not a Bank
https://www.amazon.com/Think-like-Brand-Not-Bank/dp/1544531249/
This book covers the topic of branding and business strategy beyond ’logos, fonts, colors, and swag'.
The basic idea is to think about brand as being how customers perceive and feel your company, and adapting your company to fit how you want customers to perceive and feel about your company.
There’s also a podcast which goes beyond the contents of the book: https://anchor.fm/allison-netzer
Communication
7 Forms of Respect: A Guide to Transforming Your Communication and Relationships at Work
https://www.amazon.com/Forms-Respect-Transforming-Communication-Relationships/dp/B0B181VMT2/
This book covers the “7 forms of respect” and how each person handles giving respect and receiving respect to and from their peers, seniors, and juniors.
- Procedure
- Punctuality
- Information
- Candor
- Consideration
- Acknowledgement
- Attention
Video describing the concept: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pSWrefqqGc