Amarachi Iheanacho discusses her role as a Developer Advocate and vision for a collaborative developer ecosystem

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Amarachi Iheanacho believes developers function better when they recognise their place in something larger
Amarachi Iheanacho discusses her role as a Developer Advocate and vision for a collaborative developer ecosystem
Amarachi Iheanacho

Developer Advocacy plays a critical role in bridging the gap between product and development teams. The demand for professionals who can communicate, educate, and engage with developers continues to rise. Amarachi Iheanacho is an emerging leader in developer advocacy, and she is committed to bridging this divide. She has led diverse developer advocacy initiatives across fast-rising companies like Eyer and Moja Globa. Her work revolves around improving developer experience, organising API documentation, and grooming thriving developer communities. In this interview, Amarachi answers questions on her journey into developer advocacy, the impact of developer advocacy, and her compelling vision for a more collaborative developer ecosystem.

Q: Amarachi, you have spent the past three years as a Developer Advocate. What was it that at first drew you to this position?

Amarachi: Developer advocacy has always felt like the perfect blend of my two passions: technology and teaching. In a way, I’ve been a developer advocate from the moment I started coding. From the beginning, I’ve been encouraged to write—not just for documentation but to teach, to reinforce my understanding, and to help build a brand. Through this, I realised that people learn in very different ways, which led me to start speaking and engaging with communities. I’ve led communities both in my university and within my country, learning along the way just how impactful a community can be.

What I love most about developer advocacy is its focus on people. It allows you to connect with others, helping them understand complex technologies and making a real difference by listening to their challenges and feeding that insight back to the team. I know I wouldn’t be where I am in tech without those who took the time to teach and reach out to me. For me, giving back is essential. As I always say, “I don’t care how cool you are—you’re never too cool for community.

Q: It looks like nurturing a community is a large proportion of your work. How do you create a collaborative space for developers?

Amarachi: Innovation is only possible through the support of collaboration. Developers function better when they recognise their place in something larger, where their efforts are important, and they can learn from others. My method has been to promote inclusivity and openness in everything I do. At Eyer and Moja Globa, we worked hard to give developers various ways to engage with us—whether through documentation, direct assistance, or open-source contributions. Creating environments where developers feel protected to raise questions, convey ideas, or critique the platform is important.

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We started initiatives too, including hackathons and developer meetups, that not only encouraged collaboration but triggered discussions about the broader shifts in the tech landscape, beyond just the tools we advocated for. These events support developers in creating relationships, not only with the company but with their colleagues as well. Creating a sense of belonging benefits everyone within the community. You observe innovation happening much quicker, and a growing number of people are supporters of your product.

Q:  How have your experiences as both an engineer and technical writer influenced your approach as a Developer Advocate?

Amarachi: In reality, engineering and writing are core elements of developer advocacy. Being an engineer at Wakawithme gave me direct exposure to the developer’s perspective—especially the frustrations that come with unclear documentation or challenging API integrations. Understanding these pain points has helped me prioritise creating tools and processes that genuinely meet developers’ needs.

As a technical writer at Hackmamba, I honed the ability to communicate complex concepts in a clear and engaging way. Both skills are essential to developer advocacy. You need to be technically proficient to build trust with developers, but you also need to be able to explain things in a way that resonates. I’ve been able to structure developer experiences that are not only technically robust but also accessible. 

Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge for startups when they adopt and implement developer advocacy?

Amarachi: The biggest challenge is deciding what to prioritise. Startups often focus on building new features and scaling quickly, which can lead to overlooking the developer experience. Even if the product itself is innovative, if developers struggle with poor documentation or difficult integration, they may abandon it altogether.

Another challenge is establishing trust with developers. Developers are quick to detect when advocacy efforts feel more like sales pitches. Authenticity is critical—startups must genuinely focus on solving developer problems first rather than just pushing their product. Those who invest in real, value-driven advocacy early on will differentiate themselves and gain a lasting competitive edge.

Amarachi Iheanacho discusses her role as a Developer Advocate and vision for a collaborative developer ecosystem
Amarachi Iheanacho

Q: What’s your outlook for developer advocacy and the developer ecosystem as we move ahead?

Amarachi: I notice developer advocacy progressing into an increasingly cooperative and community-focused model. As the pool of developers increases, organisations must interact more intimately with their users and add them to the development process. Consequently, open-source collaboration will be more critical than ever, and transparency will play a key role.

I am confident that we will experience a shift towards personalised developer experiences. Although AI and automation could customise the developer experience, the human connection remains irreplaceable. 

Q: Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring Developer Advocates who want to make an impact in this field?

Amarachi: I recommend that you continually be curious and empathetic. The prime focus of developer advocacy isn’t thorough knowledge; it’s recognising the hurdles developers encounter and finding exciting ways to address them. Concentrate on nurturing your relationships, creating value, and being a link between developers and product teams.

Don’t hesitate to join the community as well. Whether through writing, addressing a crowd, or supporting individuals directly, the more interactions you have, the better you will recognise how to champion their needs.

See also: All the details about how the 50% telecom tariff hike will affect Nigerians


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