2025-09-04 | Resources Working Group Call (AMER)

[j12y]

• decision on whether to have meeting, cancel, or reschedule @robearlam @oleg-nenashev
• working group charter updates @j12y updates to charter for project scoping and lifecycle #120
• project updates
  • Persona Library
  • Tools Catalog
  • Events Directory
  • Metrics Index
  • DevRel Maturity Model
• call for feedback on "Metrics Index" and "DevRel Maturity Model" being the right labels
• open discussion

[j12y]

Summary

The meeting began with introductions and updates following the community call and Linux Foundation group formation, including discussions about steering committee nominations and working group consolidations. The team reviewed ongoing projects including the tools catalog, persona library, and events directory, while exploring ways to improve user interface and data contribution processes. The conversation ended with discussions about new initiatives like the Metrics Index and DevRel Maturity Model, along with plans to standardize DevRel terminology and resources through a peer-reviewed approach.

Next Steps

• Arun to send a PR to become the lead for the Metrics Index project.
• Jayson to look for and share an image related to the Tools Catalog user interface concept.
• Jayson to figure out how to manage AI note-takers in the meeting platform to kick them out unless person associated joins
• Working Group to develop a glossary of DevRel terminology as part of the maturity model project.

Introductions

The meeting began with Jayson facilitating introductions, where participants shared their names, companies, and DevRel-related shoutouts.

Working Group Charter Updates:

Jayson discussed updates to the working group charter, which were merged to reflect changes related to working groups and projects. He explained the decision to combine forces and share updates on various projects, including metrics and organizational structures, while separate focus sessions may be held for specific topics. Jayson noted that the working group is small enough for substantial discussions and mentioned past experiences with in-depth conversations on topics like personas and tools.

User Interface for Data Models

Jayson discussed the development of a website that serves as a user interface for data models like the tools catalog and persona library. He explained that the site is built using a static site builder and is open for public contributions. Jayson highlighted the "projects" area of the site, which aims to provide a more accessible interface for users to engage with repositories like the tools catalog. He also mentioned ongoing discussions in Discord about contributing to the tools catalog and the challenges of data structure and user interface differences among contributors.

Working Group Issue Management Updates

Jayson discussed the organization of issues in the working group, including labels for good first issues and resource types. He explained the lifecycle of projects from brainstorming to graduation, with the working group managing tasks in the early stages. Jayson outlined plans for the tools catalog and persona library, emphasizing the need for a user interface to enable further development. Arun asked about guiding users to provide feedback on the tools catalog data, to which Jayson replied that the initial position would be to use the contributing document for feedback, with the possibility of updating this approach later.

Project Contribution and UI Development

Jayson discussed various ways to contribute to the project, emphasizing that simply participating in discussions is a form of contribution. He outlined different methods, including providing feedback, creating issues, or making pull requests. Jayson and Rob agreed that a UI would be developed for the project, which would make it more accessible to users. They also discussed the possibility of implementing a contact form that would create a GitHub issue in the backend to simplify contributions for users without GitHub accounts.

Project Structure and Data Management

Jayson explained the structure of the project, emphasizing that while it includes a data model and set of data, the user interface and data storage are separate from the core project and intended for internal use. He described how tools like Google Sheets and Markdown files can be used to present the data in different ways, allowing for flexibility and customization. Arun suggested that this approach would be most useful for DIY projects, as larger organizations might have their own mechanisms for managing and presenting the data.

Demonstrated that Tools Catalog has a Markdown generator which his how the indexes are built:
https://github.com/DevRel-Foundation/tools-catalog/tree/main/docs/index

A generator taking the tools catalog into a google sheet may be feasible as well, highlighting that the user interface may be different to view and edit depending on organization constraints.

Jayson also touched on the Events Directory project, which aggregates event data from various sources, and mentioned the need for cleanup to bring it in line with other projects like the Tools Catalog and Persona Library.

DevRel Metrics and Maturity Model

The team discussed two new projects: the Metrics Index and the DevRel Maturity Model. Jayson explained these initiatives as documentation efforts to consolidate resources, with the Metrics Index focusing on explaining why certain metrics matter and the Maturity Model serving as a successor to the Structure and Roles working group. Arun emphasized the importance of metrics in DevRel and suggested tying the Maturity Model to metrics, proposing a staged approach similar to the DevOps maturity model. The team agreed to start with the proposed labels and update them as needed based on further insights.

DevRel Terminology and Resources

The meeting focused on defining and evolving the DevRel terminology and resources within the DevRel ecosystem. Jayson emphasized the need for a peer-reviewed consensus on DevRel definitions and suggested creating a glossary to standardize terms, while Arun highlighted the importance of aligning roles and activities with team-specific needs.

The group discussed the mission and scope of the Resources Working Group, which aims to aggregate and create resources for DevRel practitioners, and Arun volunteered to lead the metrics index project. The conversation ended with a review of ongoing projects and a reminder of the next session's schedule.

[arun-gupta]

Submitted PR #140