Rethinking developer experience at T-Mobile: DevEx vs devprod, exec buy-in, and developer self-service

Key takeaways

Transitioning from developer experience to productivity is essential to showcase the value of developer initiatives.
Collecting and presenting data effectively is crucial for gaining executive support for developer tools.
Building working relationships across teams enhances collaboration and increases effectiveness in solving friction points.
Leveraging internal resources and collaboration is often key to developing effective tools without requiring extensive funding.
Customization of tools to fit specific organizational needs can be more beneficial than adopting existing solutions.

Summary

Developer Experience vs Developer Productivity

The podcast begins with a discussion between host Avi Noda and Chris Chandler, who details his seven-year journey at T-Mobile focused on developer experience (DevEx) and productivity. Initially, the emphasis was on making developers happy through perks. However, the focus evolved towards developer productivity, recognizing that a happy developer must also be productive to deliver business results. Chris emphasizes the importance of connecting developer satisfaction to tangible business outcomes, demonstrating that understanding this link is crucial for obtaining funding for initiatives.

Driving Executive Buy-In

Chris shares insights on how to gain executive commitment for developer productivity initiatives. He stresses the significance of using data to communicate how developer productivity improvements can translate to financial gains. Utilizing empirical evidence rather than gut feelings is essential to persuade leadership about the value of investing in developer tools and processes.

Building Relationships Across Teams

The conversation shifts to how Chris’s team interacts with various engineering groups. Establishing good relationships is vital for understanding needs and finding solutions to friction points in the development process. Chris highlights the importance of human connection, frequent communication, and collaboration in consolidating efforts across different teams.

Creation and Funding of Developer Tools

Discussion progresses to how T-Mobile developed and secured funding for their internal platforms and starter kits for developers. Chris explains that they started with limited resources through collaboration. The starter kits aimed to streamline developer onboarding processes and build momentum for future initiatives, laying a solid foundation for ongoing improvements.

Comparing Homegrown Solutions to Backstage

Towards the end, Chris discusses the differences between T-Mobile's initiatives and existing platforms like Backstage. He acknowledges that while Backstage is a fantastic tool for many, T-Mobile’s needs required a more customized approach due to their specific operations and security structures. This section illustrates the significance of aligning internal developer tools with organizational requirements.

Show notes

Chris Chandleris a Senior Member of the Technical Staff for Developer Productivity at T-Mobile. Chris has led several major initiatives to improve developer experience including their internal developer portal, Starter Kits (a patented developer platform that predates Backstage), and Workforce Transformation Bootcamps for onboarding developers faster.

Mentions and links:

Follow Chris on LinkedIn
Measuring developer productivity with the DX Core 4
Listen to Decoder with Nilay Patel.

Discussion points:

(0:47) From developer experience to developer productivity
(7:03) Getting executive buy-in for developer productivity initiatives
(13:54) What Chris’s team is responsible for
(17:02) How they’ve built relationships with other teams
(20:57) How they built and got funding for Dev Console and Starter Kits
(27:23) Homegrown solution vs Backstage