This document discusses marketing strategies for open source projects. It begins by emphasizing the importance of building a clear message that focuses on the value users receive from the project. The document then recommends obsessing over every "first" experience a user has, from their initial interaction to their first contribution. Finally, it stresses the importance of working with and cultivating a project's community, showing a clear path to involvement, engaging contributors, and asking for help achieving goals.

1. Marketing Open Source
with Great Success!
Brad Micklea
@bradmicklea
Dir, PM with Red Hat
ex-COO with Codenvy
Project lead, Eclipse Che
Wed, 25-Oct-2017
16:30 - 17:05
Wilhelm-Kramer-Zimmer Room

2. Why Listen? Che Marketing Stats...
>7M
Che workspace
usage hours
>1M
Website visitors
(page views were
even higher)
98
Contributors to
Che & Che-Docs

3. If you
build it...

4. Sorry,
they won’t
come.
( that’s make-believe )

5. Good News:
Marketing your project is free!
(But it is work)

6. 1. Build the Message

7. Focus on what people get from your project. Why should
they care and why are you different from anyone else?
My rules:
● Be honest and clear - no adjectives or hyperbole
● Copy the best (it’s not cheating)
● Use accepted terms but limit “marketing” words
● Target editing away more than half your words
Identify Your Value Proposition

8. Refine The Value Proposition
Create 2-3 options to test with real users.
My Rules
● Watch for an immediate and emotional response.
● Then, stick with it. Repetition makes the message.

9. Example
Codenvy

10. Example
GitHub

11. 2. Obsess on “First” Experience

12. Many Firsts - Obsess About All!
Most people focus on the first impression, but each
step a user/contributor takes is its own first.
● First interaction (site, or readme, or others)
● First product experience (run or perhaps build)
● First build from source
● First contribution

13. In your repo sweat the README.md:
● Your clear and powerful value proposition.
● Screenshot if applicable (must look professional).
● How to experience your project (don’t assume build).
● Link to a CONTRIBUTE.md.
● Include a LICENSE.md.
First Impression Basics

14. A Joyful First Experience
Option 1: Make
“getting started”
top of your
README.
(TOC is a good idea for a big readme)

15. A Joyful First Experience
(Shameless Plug)
Option 2:
Add an Eclipse
Che factory or
Chefile to your
repo instant
experience.

16. Eclipse Che
Factory:
Nothing to
install.
30 seconds to
evaluation.

17. 3. Broadcast. Then Amplify.

18. Start with Differentiated Content
Establish your niche and position.
A blog is a good way to test - use the metrics.
Self-host or publish to others can both work.
Medium.com is easy and gets a built-in audience, but
you have minimal metrics and can only use a sub-
domain for URL.

19. Example
Che Blog

20. Hone Everything with Metrics
Consider metrics you get when choosing a platform.
Commit to experimenting and measuring results.
Look for win-win partnerships.

21. Growth Hacking Value
Example
@EclipseJavaIDE
Work: Experimented
with GIF length, tagging,
time of day for tweets.
Result: 350k monthly
impressions with 30
minutes prep a day.

22. Know Your Goal
Awareness: Release notes are great - especially if they’re frequent.
Engagement: Be opinionated (or even controversial) but honest.

23. Get Creative and Run Experiments
Experimented with Quora in
2016 - answered project-
relevant questions.
- Honest
- Transparent
- Helpful
Worked for us, but YMMV

24. 100
Target attendees
>700
Live attendees
25%
Product usage increase
Doing CheConf 2017 in December! Get Ready!

25. Take Docs Seriously
For open source projects, docs are where the users are.
● Control it, it’s probably more important than your site
● Track it and obsess over it
● Guide people - connect the docs to site and repo
● Reference docs in posts, blogs, tweets, etc...

26. Table of contents is critical - reflect your
user’s goals and “understanding journey”

27. 4. Work for Your Community
(And Your Community Will Work for You.)

28. The First Step Is Already Done:
Clear Repo, Clear “Firsts,” And A
Joyful Experience.

29. A Painless First Contribution
...If you go with the
Eclipse Che option,
a dedicated PR
panel makes it easy
for contributors to
execute a first pull
request.

30. Show A Clear Community Path
The community needs to see a clear forward path:
user > contributor > committer > maintainer.
● Document what’s needed in your repo:
○ ...to contribute (CLA)?
○ ...to commit (PRs? Voting?)
○ ...to maintain?
● Engage and push people from level to level

31. Cultivate The Community
● Plan in the open
○ Discuss plans in the repo.
○ Explain why things can’t or shouldn’t be done.
○ Host virtual public meetings to encourage discussion.
○ Publish your roadmap on your repo wiki.
● Never stop engaging.

32. Ask for Help
Your community is your friend - ask them for help (they will!)
● Share your big, audacious goals publicly.
● Find people who can help and reach out personally.
● Look for win-wins (e.g. VJug and CheConf). Asked... ...Got

33. Thank You
@bradmicklea