In my previous role as CRO at Phyllo, a developer-focused API company, I faced a recurring challenge: selling to developers. Despite being surrounded by intent signals from our sandbox, GitHub repositories, and developer community, we lacked the tools to consolidate these insights into actionable GTM strategies. The frustration of not having a clear view of our pipeline—especially one driven by developer behavior—was the genesis of Reo.Dev.

Today, developer tools are at the forefront of innovation. But selling to developers is unlike selling to traditional SaaS buyers. It requires precision, a deep understanding of developer intent signals, and tailored strategies to cut through the noise. This is why we built the Reo.Dev Playbooks Library.

Our playbooks are designed to equip DevTool GTM teams with actionable steps that align with the unique buying journey of developers. Honestly, this is something I wish I had access to during my time at Phyllo. Let’s dive into why this matters.

The Unique Challenges of Selling to Developers

Developers Are Informed Buyers

Developers don’t respond to typical marketing tactics. Ads, generic emails, and cold calls rarely move the needle. Instead, their buying journey is self-driven, with deep dives into documentation, GitHub repos, and sandboxes.

Fragmented Signals and Hidden Intent

The developer buying journey spans multiple touchpoints—GitHub stars, API trials, documentation views, and Slack activity. These signals are often siloed, making it difficult for GTM teams to identify high-intent leads.

Noise Over Signal

In a bottoms-up developer motion, thousands of developers may engage with your product. The challenge? Separating casual users from those evaluating your product for a purchase.

Traditional GTM tools built for SaaS companies don’t capture these nuances. They focus on website visits and webinar attendance, which barely scratch the surface of developer behavior.

How Reo.Dev Playbooks Bridge the Gap

We created the Reo.Dev Playbooks Library to address these unique challenges. These are 25+ actionable playbooks across five tailored Playbook collections that transform developer intent signals into actionable insights for GTM teams.

Tailored for DevTool Motions

Each playbook collection is built with specific GTM motions in mind:

• OSS: Pinpoint accounts and leads evaluating your Github repos or downloading your package managers.
• Developer PLG: Identify high-purchase intent on first-party assets like Developer Docs, Product Trials, Code interactions, Telemetry API, Website, and more.
• Competitive Intel: Track accounts engaging with your competitors GitHub repositories.
• Developer ABM: Find purchase-ready accounts from your target lists.
• Developer Communities: Spot developer activity in Slack, LinkedIn & open communities.

You can explore the full library here.

What DevTool Companies Are Achieving

Uncover Hidden Opportunities

With Reo.Dev, customers discover ICP accounts that weren’t on their radar. For instance, Chronicle uncovered commercial opportunities from open-source users.

Increase Pipeline Velocity

Customers using similar playbooks have booked more meetings, increased pipeline numbers, and closed deals faster. Aporia achieved 2x more meetings and a 70% higher ROI on ad campaigns with Reo.Dev.

And how Unleash overachieved their MoM sales quota using Reo.Dev to zero in on high-intent accounts.

Save Time and Focus on What Matters

By cutting through the noise, your GTM team can focus on high-fit accounts, reducing time wasted on low-intent leads.

Rethinking GTM for 2024 and Beyond

The GTM landscape is changing. Spray-and-pray outbound strategies no longer deliver results. With the rise of AI-generated content and automated outbound, generic ABM and outbound tactics are losing their edge. In 2024 and beyond, success will belong to teams that:

• Understand their buyers and their purchase journey deeply
• Use tailored frameworks and data-driven strategies to engage buyers where they are.
• Embrace tools built specifically for their unique challenges.

Final Thoughts

Selling to developers doesn’t have to be daunting. With the right playbooks and tools, you can turn developer intent signals into revenue opportunities. The Reo.Dev Playbooks Library is your step-by-step guide to making this happen.

Let’s build smarter, data-driven GTM strategies for developer tools. Because when you meet developers where they are, you are bound to succeed.