How we built the 3rd most valuable tool in DevRel

In the ever-evolving landscape of DevRel, the right tools play an indispensable role in empowering communities and driving outcomes. So we’re honored to have been ranked the 3rd most valuable tool in DevRel in the 10th annual DevRel survey by the State of Developer Relations. Let’s dive into the results and explore what’s coming next.

The DevRel Community's Verdict

In the DevRel community, tools are essential to help community managers connect, engage, and grow their communities, while connecting that growth to business outcomes. To be recognized as the 3rd most valuable tool in DevRel in the 10th annual DevRel survey is an incredible honor. We’re humbled and proud to be in the esteemed company of Github (ranked #1), and Slack (ranked #2).

Receiving this acknowledgment validates our commitment to enhancing the DevRel landscape and supporting community managers in their vital work. And it motivates us to keep pushing the boundaries of what Orbit can do and to continually improve our platform.

As we celebrate this achievement, we do so with gratitude and humility. We’d like to thank our dedicated team for their unwavering commitment and the DevRel community and especially our beta community for their invaluable support and feedback. We look forward to the journey ahead, working together to empower community managers and elevate the DevRel field even further.

The evolution of Orbit

Orbit was founded on the belief that software is no longer sold, it's adopted. Community is a huge part of driving adoption, yet despite this shift, companies didn’t have access to the tools and e insights needed to understand their community and how it influences adoption. We set out to solve this issue by providing data-driven solutions, and Orbit was born.

Over three years later, we’ve come to realize that data alone was just one piece of the puzzle. We learned that companies needed more than just numbers; they require tools that allow them to engage and enable their community effectively, too. 

Engaging and enabling communities

By listening to our users, our understanding grew: community managers need easily accessible ways to engage their community with out-of-the-box options like champions programs, product feedback initiatives, and contributor programs. These programs are essential in creating an environment where members feel valued and engaged, and they benefit the community members just as much as the organization. The impact of community programs extends beyond individual teams. These programs hold the potential to benefit your entire organization by harnessing the collective power of your ecosystem.

Enabling communities is equally crucial. Thriving communities organically create tons of meaningful content, including answers to newbie questions, workarounds for known issues, and inspirational show-and-tell code examples, videos, and more. Typically, all that knowledge and inspiration is locked in siloes, like in a Discord server or in a GitHub issue. The information is there, but it’s nearly impossible for the average user to discover. That’s why we’re working on a feature that will make valuable community-generated data easily accessible by all of your users and prospects. If that sounds interesting, we invite you to sign up for the beta to learn more and be part of this exciting new tool.

Orbit's journey from a data platform to being named the 3rd most valuable tool in DevRel is a testament to our dedication and commitment to this dynamic field. We’re excited about the future and what lies ahead as we continue to evolve and support entire organizations in building and growing successful, thriving communities.

Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey with us. 💜