The role of the developer has significantly evolved over the past 30 years, and the software procurement process has changed with it. Developers have been gaining more power within all types of organizations and the occupation is still growing faster than ever. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment of software developers and other technologists will grow 22% between 2020 and 2030.
These roles are in high demand, and getting more control over buying the technology they use to do their jobs. The Stack Overflow Developer Survey revealed that 62% of respondents said they have influence over technology purchases in their organization. Developers are increasingly being consulted by executive leadership and lines of business management for critical buying decisions. Here’s why:
- Developers can assess a technology provider's ability to cater to their industry, providing valuable input to a decision maker. The development team’s preference may be more expensive, but provide additional cost and time savings.
- Developers uniquely understand both the product landscape and their own companies’ needs. They know what’s going to be the best fit for their fellow employees.
- Developers understand the difference between a must-have and a nice-to-have technology product.
- Developers love to try before they buy. They test out multiple solutions for free, providing valuable insight to those making big-ticket purchasing decisions.
Large corporations are embracing the developer community, and so can you. According to research firm, IDC, 64% of global 2000 businesses have designed platforms for developer engagement both inside and outside their organizations. They are proactively building communities of developers, users, customers, and partners that can collaborate on projects that offer a common interest, with an eye toward selling to these audiences.
But you don’t have to be a Fortune 2000 business to engage developers. With millions of developers and technologists visiting each month, Stack Overflow is where you can meet this audience where they already are. According to our 2024 Developer Survey, more than 61% of the respondents said that they visit developer communities like Stack Overflow to evaluate new tools. These are exactly the developer-decision makers that you want to reach.
Corporations of all sizes are taking notice of the skills and talent that developers bring to the table. Those that can reach and influence developers with useful tools and solutions are well-positioned for success.