The Path from Developer to Drupal Evangelist

The Path GovCon 2025 From Developer to Drupal Evangelist Aug 14

Overview Section 2 12 Overview As developers become more senior, they’re often pulled into sales-related conversations. Martin and John will share their journey from Drupal developers to business-facing roles. Learn how to navigate this shift and support Drupal growth. Intros & Background The Drupal Evangelist Where are we Today ⬤ Introductions Who we are and what we currently do ⬤ What does the job entail Learn a bit about the job and what to expect ⬤ Where did we land How did Martin & John fare. Is the journey over? ⬤ A little background Learn a little bit about our past and experiences ⬤ What success looks like Learn from our collective experience and gain insight ⬤ How can we help you? Plenty of time for Q&A - Bring your questions!!

Intros & Background 01

Intros & Background 4 Hello! Martin Anderson-Clutz Principal Solutions Engineer Drupal Mad Scientist. Tech Evangelist. Certified for Drupal, UX, PHP, and a bunch of other things. I founded the London, Ontario Drupal Users Group, am the Module of the Week correspondent on the Talking Drupal podcast, and a co-organizer of the Southwestern Ontario DrupalCamp. I was Track Lead for the Events Recipe as part of the Starshot Initiative, and currently lead the Drupal Event Platform initiative, to make it easy to spin up a website for a Drupal Camp. John E. Picozzi Solution Architect I believe strongly in contributing to the Drupal community and supporting open source in any way I can. I’m the organizer of the Drupal Providence Meetup, an Acquia-certified Site Builder, a co-host on Talking Drupal, and a co-organizer of the New England Drupal Camp. Throughout my career I have crafted Drupal solutions for many organizations like CVS Health, Leica Geosystems, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Marriott International, and Novartis

Intros & Background Section 12 5 Background John My journey in tech started with an independent study in high school and continued through college, where I built websites and worked in hospitality at Marriott. After graduating, I joined a startup, then spent over a decade at smaller agencies, starting as a developer. I eventually moved into leadership roles, including Solution Architect and Account Manager, before joining EPAM four years ago.

Intros & Background Section 12 6 Backgr Martin nd Designed my first website in 1999. Built my own CMS in 2004. Discovered Drupal in 2005. Drank the Kool-Aid.

What makes a good Drupal Evangelist? 02

What Makes a good Drupal Evangelist? 8 A Good Drupal Evangelist has… A Desire to do it ⬤ Some Dev’s wanna Dev Some developers don’t want to talk to clients and that’s OK! ⬤ Maybe Less hands Ok being less hands on and/or not being elbow deep in code ⬤ Answer different questions More “What” and “Why” and less “How” and “When” Good Soft Skills Public Speaking ⬤ You are good with people You like people and want to interact with them. ⬤ You have to be good You don’t have to be the best public speaker, but options to develop this skill ⬤ Can speak on their level Being able to translate or speak their language is important. No Jargon or Drupalisms ⬤ Albert Einstein “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” ⬤ Clear communication You have to be able to communicate clearly ⬤ A Former Client “Perfect is the enemy of good enough”

Is the Drupal Evangelist role right for me? 03

Will it make you happy?

Is it right for me? 1211 Section John Are you worried about skills rot? Martin 100 90 80 70 Skill Level % 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Career Start Year 1-2 Year 3-4 Year 5-6 Year 7-8 Now

Is it right for me? 1212 Section Tips to avoid skills rot POC’s & Demos Tinker / Personal Site Trainings Project Maintainership Podcasts / Webinars Drupal Initiatives

You can always go back!

How do I succeed? 04

How do I Succeed?12 15 Section Continuing to Evolve Bust Stereotypes ● ● ● ● Dev’s can’t talk to clients Dev’s are shut-ins You might need to upgrade your wardrobe You can’t talk non-tech Always Be learning ● ● ● ● POC’s and demos Trainings Learned Experiences Learn Industry Specifics (HIPPA, A11y, PCI, FedRamp, Performance, etc.) What’s New In Drupal ● ● ● ● Drupal CMS Experience Builder Drupal 11 & 12 New Ways of Implementing Drupal

How do I Succeed?12 16 Section Demo to Dazzle Tell a Compelling Story ● ● ● ● Don’t read Use personas, different user accounts to show different experiences Use a Tell - Show - Tell structure to focus on why Art of the Possible Be Prepared ● ● ● ● ● Write a script, including reset instructions Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse Show less if it means it will look better Have a stable internet connection Don’t rely on wireless connections Showmanship ● ● ● ● Smile! Something will go wrong, roll with it and move on Don’t share a giant window Ask unstructured questions

How do I Succeed?12 Section 17 Putting the Client First Keep Your Values ● ● ● ● Do what’s best for the client Don’t be afraid to lose business Provide Value to your clients Solving the problem > meeting the requirement Don’t be the Smartest Person ● ● ● Sometimes the smartest person is wrong Lead with Facts & Data Be sure of what you are talking about Think outside the box ● ● ● Push the limits of Drupal Get off the Drupal Island Maybe Drupal isn’t the right solution

How do I Succeed? 18 Be a Trusted Advisor Book Suggestion

Where are we today? 05

Where are we today? Section 12 20 Today John I’m a Solutions Architect at EPAM, supporting RFP responses and collaborating with developers to deliver strong client solutions. While I enjoy problem-solving and contributing to sales efforts, I’ve found that I can scratch my developer itch by working on POCs and demos. Transitioning from smaller agencies to a large company has been a big shift, offering new perspectives and challenges.

Where are we today? Section 12 21 Today Principal Solutions Engineer at Acquia, where I demonstrate the power and flexibility of Drupal. I speak often at camps and cons. I blog occasionally, and promote the work of other Drupalists on the Talking Drupal podcast. Martin I also maintain a collection of modules and recipes. Some were created for demos.

Martin Anderson-Clutz Principal Solutions Engineer @ Acquia @mandclu | [email protected] mandclu.com | acquia.com John E. Picozzi Solution Architect @ EPAM @johnpicozzi | [email protected] picozzi.com | epam.com Thank You!

Section Section 23 12 Financial Snapshot Gross Profit 20XX Net Profit Revenue $0,000 Revenue $0,000 Cost of Goods $0,000 Cost of Goods $0,000 Gross Profit $0,000 Operating Expenses $0,000 Taxes $0,000 Net Profit $0,000

Section Section 24 12 Financials 20XX Q1 Revenue Expenses Profit Q2 Revenue Expenses Profit Q3 Revenue Expenses Profit Q4 Revenue Expenses Profit

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct $0,000 $0,000 $0,000 Monthly Sales $0,000 $0,000 $0,000 $0,000 $0,000 $0,000 $0,000 $0,000 $0,000 Section Section 25 12 Nov Dec

Section 26 Milestones M/DD Kickoff Meeting M/DD Design Approval M/DD M/DD Send to Production Production M/DD Plan Product M/DD Delivered

Section Section 27 12 XX% Subtitle Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. Donec commodo vehicula pharetra. Integer sit amet posuere sem. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames turpis egestas. Q4

Section Section 28 12 KPI Updates Growth Rate Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. XX% Users Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. XM CPC Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. $XX

Section Section Data 1 29 12 Line Graph Data 2 100 90 80 Users (in Thousands) 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Section Section 30 12 Key Takeaways 20XX KPI 1 KPI 2 KPI 3 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget. +X,000 +XX/pp +$XX/mo

Section 31 Upcoming Events Q1 Main objectives in a simple sentence. Q2 Main objectives in a simple sentence Subtitle Q3 Main objectives in a simple sentence Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. Donec commodo vehicula pharetra. Integer sit amet posuere sem. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames turpis egestas. Q4 Main objectives in a simple sentence

Section Section 32 12 Objectives & Key Results Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4 10% Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. 20% Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. 30% Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. 40% Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum.

Section Section 33 12 Product Plan Roadmap Development Date Action 1 Action 2 Action 3 Action 4 Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Product design phase XX% Product design phase XX% Product design phase XX% Product design phase XX%

Section Section 34 12 Key Takeaway Metric 1 Metric 1 Metric 1 Time period 1 Month 3 Months 6 Months Growth (%) XX% Growth XX% Growth XX% Growth Total ($) $X,000 $X,000 $X,000

Section Section 35 12 Marketing Channel Activation Channels KPI KPI KPI KPI Channels Channels Channels

Section Section 36 12 Project Updates Objective 1 Objective 4 Main objectives in a simple sentence. Main objectives in a simple sentence. Objective 2 Objective 5 Main objectives in a simple sentence. Main objectives in a simple sentence. Objective 3 Objective 6 Main objectives in a simple sentence. Main objectives in a simple sentence.

Section 37 Marketing plan Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Strategy 3 ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda. ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda. ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda. ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda. ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda. ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda. ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda. ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda. ⬤ Key strategic initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, quo graecis expetenda.

Section Section 38 12 Project Summaries Priority 1 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Priority 2 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Priority 3 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Priority 4 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Priority 5 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Section 39 Marketing Campaign Strategy 1 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Strategy 2 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Strategy 3 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Strategy 4 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Strategy 5 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Strategy 6 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis.

Section 40 Product 1 Subtitle Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. Donec commodo vehicula pharetra. Integer sit amet posuere sem. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus.

Section Section 41 12 Risk Opportunity Risk 1 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Opportunity 1 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Risk 2 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Opportunity 2 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Risk 3 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Opportunity 3 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Risk 4 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Opportunity 4 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis.

Section Section 42 12 Project Updates This week ● ● ● ● ● Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Adjustment ● ● ● ● ● Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Next Week ● ● ● ● ● Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum Lorem Ipsum

Section Section 43 12 Questions & Answers Q What was the total revenue for Fiscal Year 20XX? A The total revenue for Fiscal Year 20XX was $X

Section Section 44 12 Product 2 Subtitle Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. Donec commodo vehicula pharetra. Integer sit amet posuere sem. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames turpis egestas.

Section Section 45 12 Product 3 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing. Ut accumsan ultricies diam, in rutrum arcu interdum quis. Sed tincidunt tellus eget sapien ornare rutrum. Donec commodo vehicula pharetra. Integer sit amet posuere sem. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames turpis egestas. Subtitle will be placed here

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