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Finding the right marketing leader is a challenge for any organization – there are unique challenges, skill sets, and best practices agnostic of industry. Throughout the past ten years, we have worked with companies spanning the B2B SaaS landscape, and we have particularly established deep expertise in hiring GTM talent at developer-focused companies.

We have placed marketing and sales leaders at companies like Tailscale, Streamlit, Prefect, SonarSource, and DigitalOcean and have a robust network of top-tier developer-focused GTM candidates. From this experience, we know first-hand that finding the right talent for developer tooling organizations is incredibly nuanced.

To help add some “in the trenches” experience, we sat down with Kiersten Gaffney – a member of our Interim Expert Network and full-stack Developer Marketing Leader – to discuss the ins and outs of what’s important for hiring in this ever-changing industry. We think you’ll love her insights and gain some practical tips to help you and your company win with marketing.

Here’s the verbatim from our conversation with Kiersten.

Please share a bit about your background and your career trajectory within this space.

I’ve been turning promising B2B SaaS into serious revenue for two decades, scaling startups from $1M to $70M+ ARR. Currently leading marketing at Dagster, I’ve got a knack for transforming cool tech into solution-based selling that moves the needle. I’ve built teams from scratch, like at Codefresh, where I grew marketing from just one to a squad of 16. I’ve been the GTM advisor for over 40 software companies, from infrastructure to open-source standouts like Airbyte and Redpanda. Whether it’s killer positioning, GTM strategies, or SDR optimization, I’m all about driving real growth. Next up? I’m on the hunt for a few independent board seats, ready to bring my customer-obsessed, employee-first approach to the boardroom.

What’s been your favorite part, and your most challenging part, of working as a CMO within the developer-focused world?

What is the best part of being a CMO in the dev-focused world? It’s like being a coach for a championship team. I thrive on seeing the big picture, connecting the dots that others might miss, and then mapping out our game plan. There’s nothing quite like the rush of watching our strategies unfold and seeing real, tangible growth as a result. I’m in my element when I’m reading between the lines, spotting gaps in the market, and then unleashing my team to execute like pros.

Now, the flip side? Finding the right talent is brutally tough. In the dev world, you need unicorns who are fluent in both dev-tooling and B2D marketing. There’s a foundational level of understanding required before we even touch marketing strategy. These folks need to inhabit the developer’s mindset and effortlessly talk shop with engineers. Finding marketers who tick all these boxes? That’s the real challenge. But when you do, it’s pure magic.

For early-stage companies, what are the most critical roles to hire first within marketing?

When it comes to early-stage companies, you’ve got to be smart about your first marketing hires. You’re not looking for specialists; you need Swiss Army knives. First up, snag a dev-first product marketer who can juggle positioning, messaging, and customer enablement like a pro. This unicorn should have that magical blend of strategy and execution. They’ll be your go-to for crafting killer product pages and can wrangle contractors for blogs, whitepapers, and ebooks.

Next on the list? A digital-first demand gen wizard. You want someone who knows where developers hang out online, isn’t afraid to experiment, and can optimize website conversions in their sleep. They should be able to navigate the marketing tech stack and know how to hire the right contractors for the nitty-gritty stuff like SEO, ad management, and corralling those pesky event details. With these two powerhouses on your team, you’ll be set to make some serious waves in the dev world.

As these companies begin scaling, what role(s) become more or less important?

As your company starts to hit its stride and scale up, you don’t need to overhaul your entire marketing team. First, try to leverage your current product marketing and demand generation leads. These are the pillars that keep your ship steady as you navigate bigger waters. What you will notice is those contractors you’ve been leaning on? They’re suddenly putting in a lot more hours. That’s your cue to consider bringing those roles in-house. But don’t jump the gun – let the workload dictate the hire, not the other way around. This way, you’re not bloating your team with specialists before you need them, and you’re keeping your marketing machine lean, mean, and focused on what really moves the needle for your growing business.

Are there any critical questions unique to this space that you like to ask candidates during interviews?

When I’m interviewing candidates, I’m not interested in surface-level chit-chat. I want to dive deep into the trenches of their last gig. I want to understand their real impact, the nitty-gritty of their strategy, and why they chose that particular battle plan. I’m looking for someone who gets the ‘why’ behind their work, not just the ‘what,’ I need a team player who can read the game and make the next move without waiting for me to draw it out on the whiteboard. In this fast-paced dev world, I can’t be everywhere at once, so I need folks who are always three steps ahead, constantly strategizing our next play.

What backgrounds do you find work particularly well, and how important is it for marketers to have an in-depth understanding of engineering or development themselves?

When it comes to dev-focused marketing, I’ve got a soft spot for ex-solution engineers and DevRel folks looking to jump into the product marketing ring. These people are gold. They’ve got that rare blend of technical chops and customer empathy baked right in. They’ve been in the trenches, they speak the language, and they bring fresh, innovative ideas to the table. They don’t just understand the product; they get the developers who use it. This insider perspective is priceless when you’re trying to cut through the noise and really connect with your audience. In my book, that’s the secret sauce for killer dev-focused marketing.

How do you build an authentic brand when developers can be so hard to reach or very technical in their communication?

Building an authentic brand for developers? It’s all about remembering they’re human and not a “persona.” These folks are swamped, stretched thin, and always in high demand. Your brand’s job? Make their lives easier, period. That means top-notch education, killer content, rock-solid documentation, and a product that actually solves problems. But don’t forget, developers appreciate beauty and personality too. Infuse your brand with some character, some flair. The key is to show that you get it – you understand their world and their challenges, and you’re here to help, not just to sell. Do that, and you’ll cut through the noise and connect on a human level. That’s how you build a brand that resonates in the dev world.

How can early-stage companies effectively build engines for growth, product marketing, and community development?

In the $0-$5M range? Forget about building engines. You’re in the trenches, with founders leading the charge in marketing and sales. It’s all hands on deck, doing things that don’t scale – and that’s okay. Your mission? Prove there’s a pulse out there – that developers might actually want what you’re cooking up.

Hit $5-$20M? Now we’re talking. This is where you start flirting with scalable marketing strategies. You’re laying the groundwork, testing what sticks, and getting ready for the big leagues.

$20-$50M? Buckle up because it’s scale o’clock. You’re fine-tuning that engine, making sure it’s greased and ready to catapult you to the $100M mark.

Remember, each stage is a stepping stone. Don’t rush; focus on what matters at each level, and you’ll build a growth machine that can go the distance.

What are the different challenges that arise when marketing an open-source product, and what best practices have you found over time?

Turning your open-source project into a paid powerhouse. Too often, companies have a killer open-source project with tons of traction, but their paid offering is so far off in left field it never takes off. The best way to think about this is your open-source as your product-led growth engine, the first touch with your paid product. Your paid offering should be the natural next step, enriching developers’ lives as they scale up and bring in the whole team. This is the playbook that’s taken the likes of Hashicorp, Databricks, Confluent, Redis, and MongoDB to the $100M+ ARR club. It’s all about making that transition from free to paid smooth.

How should companies at various stages think about cultivating strong developer communities and advocates, and how does this fit into the broader marketing engine?

For open-source companies, a thriving dev community isn’t just nice to have – it’s your lifeline. It’s your product’s runway, so you better make sure it’s solid. You want a robust roadmap, maintainers who care, and contributors from all corners. This proves you’re building something relevant. Your developer advocates are the fuel that keeps this community flywheel spinning.

In the grand marketing machine, think of this community as a traffic channel on steroids. When done right, it can outpace your organic, direct, event, and paid channels combined. But it won’t drive paid conversions right off the bat. It’s packed with bleeding-edge folks who don’t pay for software. These trailblazers are setting the stage for the next wave of devs who’ll need your software and happily pay for the premium stuff. Play the long game, and your community will become your secret growth tool.

Summary

Building an authentic, developer-centric brand presents many unique challenges, but whether you are an open-source play, seed stage, or scaling beyond the $50M range, we hope that some of these insights offer a sound framework for thinking about marketing to developers. Authenticity is paramount here, and as your company looks to grow its team, RevelOne offers a robust network of marketers with strong developer empathy and powerhouse interim leaders within our IEN.

About the Author
Kiersten Gaffney leads marketing at Dagster Labs and previously served as CMO at Codefresh. She’s a GTM advisor for infrastructure, dev tools, and open-source companies, including Airbyte, Dragonfly, and Redpanda. Kiersten has scaled startups from $1M to $70M ARR and built marketing teams from 1 to 20 members. She specializes in positioning, GTM strategy, demand generation, and SDR optimization, with a track record of quality execution across product, growth, content, and brand initiatives.

About RevelOne
RevelOne is a leading go-to-market advisory and recruiting firm. We help hundreds of VC/PE-backed companies each year leverage the right resources to achieve more profitable growth. We do 250+ retained searches a year in Marketing and Sales roles from C-level on down for some of the most recognized names in tech. In addition to our Search Practice, our Interim Expert Network includes 250+ vetted expert contractors – executive-level leaders and head-of/director-level functional experts – available for interim or fractional engagements. For help in any of these areas, contact us.