Introducing the AxonIQ Technical Advisory Board

By Paul Kuyer February 9 2024

Blog by AxonIQ

2 min

Introduction

Every developer creates software for someone. Whether it's your boss, a client, or even yourself, the end-user's satisfaction is paramount. And hey, let's not forget about your dear old grandmother, who might need your help too!

Two key elements are essential to delivering quality software. First, technical expertise is crucial. No one wants to use clunky or slow products, not even Grandma. Second, a deep understanding of your user is vital. Did you forget to include an extra large font? Oops, Grandma won't be too pleased.

At AxonIQ, we understand the importance of improving both of these elements. That's why we're thrilled to announce the launch of our Technical Advisory Board (TAB) – a step towards deepening our understanding of our users.

The Idea Behind the TAB

The TAB is an idea by Adam Frankl, the mastermind behind Neo4j, Sourcegraph, and JFrog. He likes to joke “the TAB is not technical, it’s not advice, and it is not a board.” But TAB is a pretty good name anyway. The idea behind the TAB is simple: if you want to understand users, talk to them!While our users are developers, just like us, it doesn't automatically mean that we completely understand their needs. As any developer who has switched companies knows, every project is unique. With a million tools and frameworks that can be combined in infinite ways and ever-changing technologies, it would be naive to assume we know it all. To truly understand our users, we must grasp the specific contexts in which developers utilize Axon.

Implementation

To achieve this, we have set out to recruit approximately 50 individuals over the course of the upcoming year. At present, we already have 15 passionate members on board. These individuals are experts in their respective fields, ranging from Axon Framework users and CTOs to developers who have never heard of AxonIQ.

Each TAB member participates in four 30-minute conversations throughout the year. During these discussions, I engage with TAB members about their work and goals. To avoid steering the conversation, I ask broad questions that encourage candid responses. The primary objective is to uncover insights that I may not have previously been aware of. After all, the TAB members possess a wealth of expertise, and I thoroughly enjoy listening to their perspectives.

To ensure we capture every valuable detail, I meticulously record and transcribe all conversations. This enables me to revisit and analyze the answers, searching for patterns and themes. By distilling these insights, we can make informed decisions that will ultimately enhance our product.

Conclusion

At AxonIQ, our product extends beyond our software offerings – Axon Framework, Axon Server, and AxonIQ Console. We also provide an entire ecosystem of resources, including AxonIQ Academy, AxonIQ Discuss community, documentation and tutorials. We aim to empower developers and help them succeed within their specific contexts.

To achieve this goal, we continuously update and improve all elements of our developer stack. The TAB plays a crucial role in this process, as it provides us with a deep understanding of developers and their specific contexts. Just like you help your grandmother with her unique needs, we strive to meet the unique needs of developers using our platform.

Join Us on This Journey

If you have an idea, a question or want to share your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you. Don't hesitate to reach out to us. Together, we can build a stronger and more effective platform that caters to the diverse needs of developers around the world.

Paul Kuyer

Paul Kuyer is the Product Architect at AxonIQ. Before that, he was a philosopher. He loves creating things and people who create. His goal is to understand and learn from developers. Always looking for great conversations.

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