Scaling DevRel without burning out your team

Developer Relations (DevRel) has evolved from a niche function into a strategic pillar for many dev-focused companies. It’s the bridge between your product and the people who build with it. But as your company grows and the demands on DevRel multiply, community building, content creation, conferences, demos, support, internal alignment, it’s easy for even the most passionate teams to teeter on the edge of burnout.

So how do you scale DevRel sustainably? How do you increase impact without overextending your team?

Here’s a guide to growing your DevRel function without breaking it.

1. Stop doing everything, start prioritizing outcomes

Many DevRel teams fall into the trap of trying to be everywhere: on every platform, at every event, supporting every developer.

Instead, shift from activity-based planning (e.g. “we’ll write 10 blog posts this quarter”) to outcome-based planning (e.g. “we’ll drive 200 developers to try our SDK through targeted tutorials”).

Tips:

• Define DevRel goals tied to product adoption, activation, or support deflection.

• Use a content or activity matrix to prioritize what delivers the most impact.

• Be okay saying "no" to things that don't align with your core metrics.

2. Document and productize what works

If you're doing something more than twice, especially if it works, it's a candidate for automation, documentation, or delegation.

• Turn successful workshops into repeatable templates.

• Convert frequently answered support questions into public docs or videos.

• Package demos and onboarding flows as shareable sandboxes or GitHub repos.

This not only saves time but enables others (internally or externally) to carry the torch.

3. Invest in internal enablement

DevRel often becomes the default owners of anything “developer-facing,” but that doesn’t mean they should do it alone.

• Train your product and support teams to speak with developers.

• Create onboarding kits for sales engineers, solutions architects, and customer success to confidently use your technical content.

• Enable marketing to repurpose high-performing DevRel content instead of asking DevRel to write from scratch every time.

Scaling isn’t just about doing more, it’s about helping more people do what DevRel does well.

4. Build community driven amplification

Your developer community doesn’t want to just consume, they want to contribute. Give them pathways to become advocates, speakers, contributors, or champions.

Some proven methods:

• Launch a dev ambassador program with tiers of involvement.

• Feature community-built content in your newsletter or docs.

• Provide early access or beta perks to high-engaged users.

This shifts the load from your internal team to a growing ring of invested external voices.

5. Measure burnout like you measure KPIs

Burnout is the silent killer of great DevRel teams. It doesn’t just sap productivity, it undermines trust, creativity, and team health.

Make well-being a tracked, discussed metric:

• Run regular anonymous pulse checks on workload and stress.

• Create clear boundaries around travel, after-hours events, and online engagement.

• Normalize time off after large events or launches.

A sustainable DevRel team is a long-term growth asset. Burned-out team members don’t scale.

6. Use Tech (and AI) to extend your reach

Whether it’s transcribing talks into blogs with AI, using bots to triage community support, or tracking developer journeys with smart analytics, modern DevRel can be tech-augmented without being impersonal.

Examples:

• Use tools like Orbit, Common Room, or DevRelX to track and segment community growth.

• Leverage LLMs to summarize docs, generate tutorial drafts, or power chat-based onboarding.

• Automate content distribution through programmable newsletters, RSS feeds, or social APIs.

Let software do the repetitive stuff so your team can focus on creative, high-leverage work.

Final thoughts

Scaling DevRel isn't about cloning your most charismatic developer advocate. It's about building systems, culture, and collaboration that extend your reach while protecting your people.

The most successful DevRel teams in 2025 will be those that balance empathy with efficiency, creating developer love and internal sustainability.

Because DevRel isn't just about reaching developers. It's about doing it in a way that lasts