WSO2 has formally launched its Ambassador Programme to recognise the contribution of community contributors. It comes as the company embarks on a move to better embrace its community and recognise its importance to the company going forward.
This programme is part of the work being done by Isabelle Mauny, Chief Developer Advocate at WSO2. In an interview with Enterprise Times at WSO2Con in Barcelona, Mauny gave some insight into what the Ambassador programme would entail.
At this announcement, Mauny said, “Developers are the driving force behind innovation. They are not merely users of our products—they are instrumental in shaping them. Architects help ensure that solutions built on WSO2’s platforms are robust, cohesive, and aligned with long-term business goals.
“The WSO2 Ambassador Program is our way of acknowledging their contributions and supporting their continued growth. Whether through leading community meetups, publishing technical tutorials, or contributing to our codebase, our ambassadors play a vital role in empowering others to succeed with WSO2.”
Elevating the role of developer advocates
For any open-source company, the strength of its community is a key factor in success and development. It is the community that often provides utilities and acts as unpaid advocates for adoption. But recognition of those involved varies widely and can range from an invitation to events to t-shirts and merchandise.
This is why Mauny wanted a programme that would recognise the value of developers and the community to WSO2. Open-source vendors rely on the additional oversight of their code that the community provides. Those community developers also produce point solutions and utilities which help customers use the products. Architects also have a role to play in helping customers understand what WSO2 can do for them.
The Ambassador Programme promises mentoring, visibility, and greater support for those selected. That’s great for them to build out their reputation. But according to the interview with Mauny, there will only be a small number, 15-20, in the first year. That’s not many, and the question is, how many will the programme be looking to support in the long term?
Another challenge here is that those whom Mauny said she was looking at include people who work for WSO2 partners. Those partners will get to bask in the reflected glory of their employees being ambassadors. What isn’t clear is whether those companies will contribute anything to the programme.
What is in the programme?
According to the announcement, the programme will deliver:
- Sponsorship for local events, meetups, and conferences to grow regional communities
- Skill-building opportunities in community leadership, developer advocacy, and public speaking
- Visibility and recognition through WSO2’s digital channels and media
- Access to exclusive WSO2 events, tools, and swag
- Direct collaboration with WSO2 teams, providing feedback and influence on product direction
Three of these are very interesting. The sponsorship will create an opportunity to build local WSO2 developer groups who can collaborate. It would be a surprise if local partners weren’t engaged in helping develop such communities. After all, they get to benefit from potential customer engagements.
The additional visibility, especially for individuals, will be welcomed. It will allow them to expand their personal community and build a brand.
The jewel in the crown is the direct collaboration with WSO2 teams. This is something that happens in other open-source communities and has done for many years. Another benefit of this approach is that it will allow some partners to get closer to WSO2, which opens up the possibility of acquisition down the line. The same is true of individuals, and there are plenty of open-source examples of advocates ending up working at a vendor.
Still no developer marketplace
What is missing is a developer marketplace. Mauny is cautious about going down that route and, in some ways, that’s a good thing. It takes time to build, set standards and create testing programmes. More importantly, they need curation to prevent contributions from becoming outdated and unsupported.
However, active communities do make good use of marketplaces, and they can help adoption because it means in-house developers are not doing everything themselves. It also creates a place for partners to show off their skills and be seen contributing to the community and the product.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
This announcement comes just over a month after WSO2Con, where it was first announced. It is long overdue from WSO2 and shows how the company is evolving. The recruitment of Mauny, who had previously worked at the company, to head this programme is the right move.
The first 15 ambassadors have been named and are listed on the Ambassador Programme page. Let’s see who joins them over the next year and whether we start to see specialisation of those chosen.
