Welcome to episode 16 of the Web3 Growth Podcast! 🦁
We interview the best growth operators about their growth strategies, challenges, and tech stacks to give you the insights you need to grow your business in web3 & beyond.
This session was recorded during the second annual Safary Summit in February 2025, hosted by Safary and supported by Hype and Trust Wallet. The summit featured 10 panels with over 20 growth leaders sharing what it truly means to grow in web3.
Jake Stott (founder of Hype) sits down with Charlie Rogers (CMO at Nillion) and Jay Kurahashi-Sofue (CMO at Eco) to explore the nuances and strategies behind effective developer marketing in the crypto ecosystem.
Our guests delve into what makes developer marketing uniquely challenging and rewarding, sharing practical strategies for identifying, attracting, and retaining developers.
Charlie and Jay emphasize the critical importance of deep developer engagement—starting with in-depth conversations to understand developers’ genuine needs and pain points. They highlight how the developer landscape demands specialized marketing strategies, focusing on authentic channels like GitHub discussions, developer forums, and community-driven spaces.
The panel discusses realistic goal-setting in developer acquisition, emphasizing quality over quantity and setting attainable targets rather than chasing inflated metrics. They share high-impact tactics, such as grassroots engagement through educational initiatives like hackathons and pizza nights with university blockchain clubs, drawing lessons from the success stories of MongoDB and other tech giants.
They also dissect grants programs and hackathons, sharing firsthand experiences and honest critiques about the good, the bad, and how these methods can be improved. Jay provides candid reflections from his experience at Avalanche, outlining how structured investment and grants programs can enhance ecosystem growth.
Finally, they explore innovative approaches to developer events, suggesting more holistic, structured, and collaborative activities that go beyond traditional hackathon formats to deliver deeper engagement and meaningful developer relationships.
Episode Timeline
00:00 Intro: The unique challenge of developer marketing
04:10 Starting points for successful developer engagement
08:30 Realistic developer acquisition targets and expectations
13:50 High-value tactics for developer engagement
20:15 Evaluating grants and funding programs
28:45 Honest reflections on hackathons
35:00 Innovating beyond traditional hackathon models
42:00 Final thoughts on shaping meaningful developer experiences
Looking for more insights from top growth experts? Sign up for the Safary Certification—a hands‑on crypto marketing course taught by the growth minds behind Berachain, EigenLayer, Kraken, and more (spots are limited).
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