The Fundamentals of Great Data Products

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What is a data driven enterprise?

A data-driven company maximizes data value as a product by treating its internal data as an enterprise asset and making data-driven decisions that are backed by technology, processes, and people. Data becomes the differentiating factor that propels enterprises forward acting as a competitive differentiator. In the most effective data-driven organizations, all business decisions are made using some form of data analytics. In a data driven company, senior executives use data to make strategic decisions about the future of the business. Middle managers use data to improve operational efficiency and bottom line results.

Why do we talk about data as a product?

Taking a product approach to data assets enables an organization to derive value from data in a sustainable way. It also allows for the different stakeholders involved in data decision-making to be more effective and efficient in their roles. Data Product Management (DPM) is an area of product management that specializes in the development and delivery of data products. A data product is a software application or service that makes use of data to provide a value-added feature or service. The DPM discipline encompasses the entire product lifecycle from ideation to delivery and post-launch operations. DPMs work with data science, engineering, and business teams to bring data products to market (internally or externally).

Ultimately, data products provide businesses with digital products that help them grow and compete more effectively in today’s digital economy.

A data mesh is a modern framework for creating data products. It allows businesses to quickly connect and process data from a variety of sources. This makes it possible to create data products that are more accurate, reliable, and up-to-date than ever before.

This also helps businesses avoid the common pitfalls associated with traditional data management approaches. For example, data silos can form when data is managed in isolated systems. This can make it difficult or even impossible to access the data when it is needed. Data mesh helps businesses avoid these silos by providing a unified platform for data management.

What are the Fundamentals of Creating a Great Data Product?

Creating a great data product requires more than just having access to data. businesses must also have the right tools and processes in place to make use of that data.

Key attributes for creating a great data product include:

  • Build an Easy-to-Use Data Product

    This means having a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to find and understand the data they need.

  • Build a Comprehensive Data Product

    This means having a data product that has all the necessary data and analysis for the specific domain of the data product.

  • Build an Accurate Data Product

    This requires having processes in place to ensure that data is regularly cleansed and updated.

  • Build a Timely Data Product

    This means having a system in place that allows users to access the data they need, when they need it.

  • Build an Actionable Data Product

    This mean data for its own sake is waste. Data needs to provide actionable intelligence.

  • Build a Secure Data Product

    This means having security measures in place to protect data from unauthorized access or misuse. Creating a great data product requires a commitment to security at every stage of the process.

  • Build Useful Documentation

    This also includes having clear instructions and tutorials for using the product.

By following these principles, businesses can create products that are both useful and valuable to their users. Creating a great data product requires a combination of technical expertise and business acumen. By understanding the needs of their customers and having the right tools and processes in place, businesses can create data products that drive real value. When done correctly, data products can help businesses make better decisions, improve customer service, and increase sales. Creating a great data product starts with understanding the fundamentals.

Build an Easy-to-Use Data Product

The benefits of easy to use data products are numerous. First and foremost, they make it easy for customers to find the data they need. They are also comprehensive and accurate, which means that customers can rely on them for accurate information. Additionally, they are timely and actionable, which means that customers can take immediate action on the data they receive.

Build a Comprehensive Data Product

When it comes to data products, comprehensiveness is key. A comprehensive data product allows businesses to create valuable comprehensive insights. To build a comprehensive data product, businesses need to connect and process data from a variety of sources. This includes internal data sources, such as databases and CRMs, as well as external data sources, such as social media and web analytics.

Build an Accurate Data Product

Accuracy is critical when it comes to data products. After all, if the data is inaccurate, it won’t be of any use to businesses or their customers. To build an accurate data product, businesses need to ensure that they are collecting high-quality data. They also need to ensure that this data is processed correctly and stored in a reliable data warehouse.

Build a Timely Data Product

A data product is only as good as the timeliness of the data it contains. To build a timely data product, businesses need to ensure that they are collecting real-time data. They also need to ensure that this data is processed quickly and made available to customers in a timely manner.

Build an Actionable Data Product

An actionable data product is one that provides customers with the data they need to take action. To build an actionable data product, businesses need to ensure that they are collecting data that is relevant to their customers’ needs. They also need to ensure that this data is processed in a way that makes it easy for customers to find and use.

Build Useful Documentation

One of the best ways to create valuable documentation for a data product is to use the Documentation Quadrants as a pattern. The Documentation Quadrants can be used to help businesses document all aspects of their data product, from the basics, to the nitty gritty details. The four quadrants are:

  • The Tutorial Quadrant, which is Learning-Oriented and includes Quickstart Guides and Recommended Learnings like Reading Lists and Training Lists.

  • The How-To Guides Quadrant, which is Problem-Oriented and includes Troubleshooting Guides and IT Operational RunBooks.

  • The Discussion Quadrant, which is Understanding-Oriented and includes Chat, QnA Bots, FAQs, and Stack Overflow.

  • The Reference Quadrant, which is Information-Oriented and includes API Docs, Data Catalogs, Service Catalogs, and Data Lineage Reports.

Enterprise Architecture

Business Architecture

Data Product Value Propositions

During the next phase, the software product is designed for the needs identified above. Data products deliver value propositions. Sometimes it is necessary for data products to support a specific problem. Data products that feature a value proposition can nudge people to provide information, whereas the analytics of information can lead to data products that help decision-making. In some circumstances, a used car platform could include a data product called “Predicted Used Car Resale Value” which would help in determining selling costs.

Three types of data products

There is a three-type data-product in my opinion: data as a service, data-enhanced products, and data as insight.

Setting up Your Data Product Team

Data products are sometimes part of larger service platforms with numerous data product managers, data scientists, data analysts, data engineers, and data consumers that handle the different aspects of developing and operating the data services. These data teams need to excel in cross functional collaboration and have a product mindset.

Information Systems Architecture

Architecture for Data Products

The architecture for the enterprise data products should take in the following considerations:

  • Data quality: It is important to ensure that the data being used for the data product is high quality, accurate, and up-to-date.

  • Data processing: It is important to ensure that the data is processed quickly and correctly so that it can be made available to customers in a timely manner.

  • Data storage: It is important to ensure that the data is stored in a reliable data warehouse so that it can be accessed by customers when needed.

  • Data security: It is important to ensure that the data is secure and confidential so that only authorized users can access it.

  • Data sharing: It is important to ensure that the data is shared with customers in a way that is easy for them to understand and use.

The technical assets the enterprise data products should have include the following:

  • Code: Any software that includes data pipelines that is used to utilise, transform and serve upstream downstream data and code that receives upstream data. API code provides access to information and semantic schemas along with code that enacts the security, compliance and policy responsibilities of the user

  • Data and Metadata: Analyses historical data related to a domain. Data could be in any format like structured, unstructured or semi-structured

    • Models: Logical, conceptual and mathematical models that explain how data is related. Models are used to make predictions.

  • Training datasets: A set of data used to train machine learning models

Data Mesh, Data Products, and Data Science

In reality, Data Products belong to the larger picture: the Data Mesh. Data mesh isn’t merely a technology, its platform is the solution for organisations to untapped its data capabilities in order to create better AI/ML knowledge sharing applications. Please take the time to read Zhamaks most influential book Data Mesh – Delivering Data-Driven Value at Scale. This will not be a quick summary but we want to reaffirm that data is an integral component of data mesh architecture.

Conclusion

Data products are an integral part of the mesh, and play a important role in allowing companies to utilise their data for better performance. Data products help organisations to make predictions and better decisions by providing high quality data that is processed quickly and accurately. In order to set up a data product team, it is important to have a product mindset and excel in cross-functional collaboration. The technical assets that the enterprise data products should have include software, code, data, models, training datasets, and metadata.

FAQ

What are data products?

Data products are tools, applications, and datasets that use data to improve decision making processes.

What are examples of data products?

Common data products include Salesforce’s Einstein algorithm, which specializes in customer predictive statistics, and finance terminals such as Bloomberg Terminal.

How do you make a data product?

To make a data product, you need to develop an understanding of the business problem that you’re trying to solve, and take a product management approach to solve that problem. After that, you’ll need to choose the right technology platform and tools to build and deliver the data product.

What is a data mesh?

A data mesh is an architecture that uses many small, distributed data services to give users easy access to the data they need. Data meshes are designed to be scalable, fault-tolerant, and easy to use.

How does a Data Product approach increase data usage?

Data products are designed to be easy to use and accessible to as many people as possible. By making data products readily available, organisations can increase the number of people who are able to use data to improve decision making processes. This means reusing expensive to develop business models, business logic, deep learning findings, and artificial intelligence systems to provide better insights.

What are some more examples of Data Products?

A “Credit Score” for a Financial Services company, a “Service Maintenance Predictor” for a Manufacturing company, a “Churn Model” for a Telco company, or a “Product Recommendation Engine” for an E-commerce company are all examples of data products.

How can RegulatedCloud help me with my Data Product?

RegulatedCloud offers consulting services to help you get started on turning data (raw data or dirty data) into the right data.

FAQ for Corporate Developer Relations Programs

Q: What is an internal Developer relations program?

A: An internal Developer relations program is a way to create a space for developers within your organization. It can help increase adoption of available technology and develop a sense of belonging. You can create a successful internal Developer relations program by implementing developer marketing processes and tools, setting up developer enablement initiatives, and launching developer advocacy activities.

Q: What are some benefits of an internal Developer relations program?

A: Some benefits of an internal Developer relations program include increased adoption of available technology, improved business outcomes, and increased satisfaction among developers.

Q: What are some things you can do to create a successful internal Developer relations program?

A: You can create a successful internal Developer relations program by implementing developer marketing processes and tools, setting up developer enablement initiatives, and launching developer advocacy activities.

Q: Why is it important to have an internal Developer relations program?

A: An internal Developer relations program is important because it can help increase adoption of available technology, improve business outcomes, and increase satisfaction among developers.

Q: What are some best practices for creating an internal Developer relations program?

A: Some best practices for creating an internal Developer relations program include having a clear business strategy, adequate documentation, training, and support. Additionally, setting up developer enablement initiatives is the first step in creating a space for developers within your organization. Internal Developer enablement is about making it easy for your internal developers to use your corporate products and services. By providing adequate documentation, training, and support, you can increase adoption and decrease the time to value for your internal customers.

Q: How can an internal Developer relations program improve business outcomes?

A: An internal Developer relations program can improve business outcomes by increasing adoption of available technology, improving business processes, and increasing satisfaction among developers.

Q: What are some things you should include in an internal Developer relations program?

A: Things you should include in an internal Developer relations program vary depending on the business strategy and goals of the organization. However, typically, an internal DevRel program includes developer marketing processes and tools, developer enablement initiatives, and developer advocacy activities.

Q: How can I make sure my internal Developer relations program is successful?

A: To make sure your internal Developer relations program is successful, it is important to have a clear business strategy, adequate documentation, training, and support. Additionally, be sure to check out our other guides or talk to us about our consulting options at Contact Us

Corporate Internal Developer Relations Programs

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Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

Table of contents

The Problem Scenario

You’ve been asked to develop an Engineering Center of Excellence (CoE) for the internal teams of an entire portfolio at a large corporation. The business units are currently using a modern agile framework, but the Enterprise Architecture they have created is not well-suited to their business strategy and project management processes. They want to develop faster using standardized procedures, but they can’t seem to get out of their own way. As the person responsible for this initiative, you’re tasked with developing a plan to help the development community learn about the already-existing internal tooling and processes and also help drive the business strategy forward. This is where a Corporate Developer Relations (DevRel) Program can help.

What is a Developer Relations Program?

Developer Relations (DevRel) is a set of approaches organizations use to enhance the relationship between themselves and software developers. A successful Developer Relations program focuses on four key areas: Developer Marketing, Developer Enablement, Developer Advocacy, and Developer Community.

What is a Corporate Internal Developer Relations Program?

A Corporate Internal Developer Relations Program is different from a typical developer relations program in a few ways.

  • Has a primary focus on internal developers instead of an external third party developers
  • Leverages private communication instead of public communication
  • Works with business unit stakeholders instead of external product stakeholders

The Benefits of a Corporate Internal Developer Relations Program

There are many benefits of having a Corporate Internal Developer Relations Program.

  • Improve the quality of some of the most expensive internal processes in the entire enterprise, technology development processes by making them more visible, feedback-driven, and collaborative.
  • Increase the employee retention of the most difficult to replace skill sets in the business, technology workers by improving the developer experience.
  • Create a more cohesive development community by providing a way for developers to connect with each other and share best practices to find solutions faster.

The key to a successful Corporate Developer Relations Program is to ensure that it is focused on business value, has a broad scope, and is driven by senior management. By doing so, you can realize the many benefits this type of program has to offer.

This article will examine a Data-Focused Organization’s corporate Developer Relations program at a high level. You’ll notice overlap and synergy across the four core areas.


Outline

Blueprint for creating a successful Internal Developer Relations Program

  1. Define your Internal Developer Relations program goals and objectives

    Before starting anything, you need to know what you’re trying to achieve with your internal Developer Relations program.

  2. Implement Internal Developer Marketing processes and tools

    Developer marketing creates demand for your internal products and services through targeted content and outreach.

  3. Set up Internal Developer Enablement initiatives

    Internal Developer enablement is about making it easy for your internal developers to use your internal products and services.

  4. Launch Internal Developer Advocacy activities

    Developer advocacy promotes your products and services to developers through thought leadership, community engagement, and Developer Relations.

  5. Build the Internal Developer Community

    This community is the group of developers who are using your products and services.

There’s a lot to consider when setting up a Developer Relations program, but with some planning and effort, you can set your Data Organization up for success. Developer Relations is a vital part of any data strategy, so if you’re not already doing it, now is the time to get started.

Define your Developer Relations Program Goals and Objectives

Before starting anything, you need to know what you’re trying to achieve with your internal corporate Developer Relations program. What are your business goals? Once you’ve defined your goals, you can start thinking about how Developer Relations can help

Implement Developer Marketing Processes and Tools

Developer marketing creates demand for your internal products and services through targeted content and outreach. For example, internal content marketing, enterprise social media, corporate events, and work email can convince otherwise reluctant departments to utilize the technology already built by the company.

Internal Content Marketing

Your organization already has a lot of content, but is it used to its fullest potential? Internal content marketing can help you turn your organization’s existing content into valuable resources that help developers do their jobs better—for example, posting a news post about the development community in SharePoint.

Enterprise Social Media

Social media isn’t just for external communications anymore. Enterprise social media can connect developers with the resources they need and help them connect. For example, setting up an internal hashtag in Yammer that developers can use to find and share relevant content. Another example that uses Yammer is to collect feedback from software engineers and utilizing the suggestions to make a case for migrating to a new developer tool, like an IDE (Integrated Development Environment).

Internal Corporate Events

Internal corporate events can be a great way to connect developers with their needed resources—for example, setting up a booth at an internal conference or sending a team to speak at an event for the European office.

Work Email

An organization’s email communication can be a great way to connect developers with the resources developers need—for example, setting up a monthly developer newsletter that highlights new resources, upcoming events, and recent successes.

Set up Developer Enablement Initiatives

Internal Developer enablement is about making it easy for your internal developers to use your corporate products and services. By providing adequate documentation, training, and support, you can increase adoption and decrease the time to value for your internal customers.

Documentation

To be successful, a DevRel program needs to include documentation. This will help new developers get started with your products and services by providing them with what they need for technical references as well as code samples and reference apps that are used in production environments across the company or organization doing development work on internal API’s.

Training

Training is also a critical component of any DevRel program. An internal DevRel program can help build awareness about your internal products and services, ask questions, get feedback from experts, and provide them with the hands-on experience they need to succeed.

Support

Finally, support is a vital part of any Developer Relations program. An internal DevRel program can help developers get answers to their questions, resolve technical issues, and give them a way to provide feedback.


Launch Developer Advocate Activities

Developer advocates promote your products and services to developers through thought leadership and technical community engagement. By becoming a trusted resource for developers, you can increase awareness of your products and services and drive adoption.

Thought Leadership

Share your expertise with the world through Yammer blog posts, internal speaking engagements, and other corporate social media.

Technical Community Engagement

Get involved with the internal developer community by joining internal in-office technical discussions, virtual office hours, participating in internal hackathons and meetups, and hosting internal technology events.

Build the Internal Developer Community

This is the group of developers who are using internal corporate products and services. You can create a sense of belonging and increase the adoption of your products and services by providing a space for developers to connect, collaborate, and learn from each other.

Training Courses

Offer training courses on how to use the company’s products and services—for example, an introductory course on how to use SharePoint where the primary focus is to build relationships between developers and non-developers.

Technical Community Events

Host internal technical events—for example, an internal hackathon or a meetup on SharePoint development. This gives technical community managers another opportunity to engage with developers and get feedback on how to improve internal products and services.

Collaboration Spaces

Set up internal collaboration spaces—for example, a Yammer group or an email distribution list—for developers to connect and share information.

Conclusion

Internal Developer Relations Programs are essential for businesses that want to connect with their internal developers and create a thriving developer community. By providing resources, training, and support, businesses can create a positive experience for their developers and increase adoption of their products and services. This high-level outline is only the beginning, don’t forget you still need a DevRel Team to put this into action.

FAQ

What are some benefits of an internal Developer relations program?

Some benefits of an internal Developer relations program include increased adoption of available technology, improved business outcomes, and increased satisfaction among developers.

What are some things you can do to create a successful internal Developer Relations program?

You can create a successful internal DevRel program by implementing developer marketing processes and tools, setting up developer enablement initiatives, and launching developer advocacy activities.

Why is it important to have an internal Developer Relations program?

An internal DevRel program is important because it can help increase adoption of available technology, improve business outcomes, and increase satisfaction among developers.

How can an internal Developer relations program improve business outcomes?

An internal DevRel program can improve business outcomes by increasing adoption of available technology, improving business processes, and increasing satisfaction among developers.

What are some things you should include in an internal Developer Relations program?

Things you should include in an internal DevRel program vary depending on the business strategy and goals of the organization. However, typically, an internal DevRel program includes developer marketing processes and tools, developer enablement initiatives, and developer advocacy activities.

How can I make sure my internal Developer relations program is successful?

To make sure your internal DevRel program is a success, it is important to have a clear business strategy, adequate documentation, training, and support. Additionally, be sure to check out our other guides or talk to us about our consulting options at Contact Us

What is the role of developer relations?

DevRel is an organisation-wide relationship building tool that helps build mutually beneficial relationships for software developers. The software development strategy is also a set of techniques that helps businesses work with software developers.

What does DevRel stand for?

Developer Relations are an innovative method that focuses on improving the B2B communication between a software company and an external programer that uses the company’s open API.

What is a developer advocate role?

A advocate is a person speaking in defence for a person or cause. This DevRel role has the responsibility to talk with the developers and write about them. They give developers the needs and wants of the company and represent this company in the developer community as well.

How does DevRel relate to non-technical internal product teams?

Internal product teams are responsible for the strategy, planning, and execution of a company’s products. They work with developers to ensure that the products they create meet the needs of the business.

What responsibilities does a Developer Relations Team have?

DevRels have interdisciplinary responsibilities that sit between product development, engineering and product sales. Developer Relations is an integrated role positioned at the border of product, engineering and marketing. The responsibilities of a DevRel are to connect developers with the business, advocate for developer needs internally, and educate both developers and business about the company’s products.

What is the difference between Developer Marketing and Developer Relations?

Developer Marketing, aka Engineering Marketing, is the process of creating demand for a company’s products or services among the technical community. Developer relations is the process of building and maintaining relationships with that technical community.

What are some skills that a successful DevRel needs?

To be successful, a Developer Relations Team member should have excellent communication skills, be able to work independently, and be familiar with project management tools and processes. Additionally, they should be able to build relationships easily and have a strong understanding of the software development process.

What professional or career path work for a DevRel team?

Typical job titles and job roles on a Developer Relations Team include

  • Developer Evangelist
  • DevRel Professional
  • Technical Community Manager
  • Developer Experience Manager
  • Director of Developer Education
  • Director of Software Engineering
  • Head of Developer Experience
  • Product Marketing Manager (for Developers)
  • Technical Writer
  • Developer Marketer
  • Community Management Assistant
  • Software Developer
  • Software Engineer
What are some common activities that DevRels engage in?

Common activities for DevRels include writing blog posts, giving talks at events, creating and maintaining documentation, and providing support to developers.

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