When many set out to build a developer program they think first and foremost of the benefits that come from having developers actively participating in their community: supporting other developers in your forums, writing blog articles, hosting meetups and hackathons, helping with documentation, and contributing to open-source projects. The developers who grow into these roles are your advocates, and they bring to our developer programs what we all hope to achieve: scale.
A common miscalculation is an assumption that these outcomes will happen naturally. And while some products and platforms are better situated to achieve these outcomes more organically, the vast majority of platforms need to be much more intentional and conscientious in the creation of their advocacy engine.