---
layout: post
title: Profiling API Developers
image: >-
  http://kinlane-productions2.s3.amazonaws.com/api-evangelist-site/blog/developer-profiling.jpg
author:
  name: kinlane
tags:
  - Profiling
  - Developers
---
For the last couple weeks I’m neck deep in getting to know the developers who already use the [CityGrid APIs](http://developer.citygridmedia.com/ "CityGrid Developers"). I want a better understanding of who a developer is, what kind of business they have and what they are looking to get out of the API.

To find this out I start out profiling them socially using [Rapportive](http://rapportive.com/ "Rapportive") (which I plan on automating using the [Full Contact API](http://www.fullcontact.com/ "Full Contact API") as soon as I have more time) for the following information:

*   Twitter Profile
*   LinkedIn Account
*   Facebook Profile
*   Google + Profile
*   Github Profile

Usually I know the URL of their website, but if I don’t, I can extract from their email address or sometimes Rapportive will provide for me. I visit each developer’s site and look for:

*   Blog w/ RSS Feed
*   Business Contact Email
*   Business Contact Form

Next I build a quick one sentence description, telling me who they are and what they do. I also assemble a comma separated list of keyword and key phrases that best represent what they do.

Before I’m done looking around their site I take a picture of their home page, so I have a visual reference to go with the developer profile. The home page image can go further than just a logo sometimes.

![](http://kinlane-productions2.s3.amazonaws.com/api-evangelist/API-Developer-Profiling-1.png)

I take all of this information, put it into a database, and connected it to a JQuery Carousel that allows me to watch a slideshow that walks me through the world of my developers, and watch like a TV channel.

This process not only gives me a 100K understanding my developer ecosystem, but helps me remember as much as I can about each developer. From this I hope to better engage them on a daily basis as well as provide feedback to the CityGrid API roadmap based upon quality API developer segmentation.