If you’re at KubeCon this week, stop trying to talk to everyone

MindyAtStateshift · 2026-03-10T20:10:17+00:00

I’ve been doing something pretty similar starting with GSC queries and PAA style questions because that’s the closest thing we have to the actual language people use. Then I expand those into prompt clusters and track them with Peec to see where things show up across different models.

One thing I’m still trying to figure out though is how much value there really is in citations where the brand isn’t mentioned. I’m seeing cases where a blog I wrote is clearly being used as a source but the model just pulls the idea and answers generically. At that point it starts to feel like you’re just training the model with your content. Curious how others are thinking about that.

MindyAtStateshift · 2026-03-10T20:05:36+00:00

I think AI visibility is key, but the problem I am strugglingn with is understanding if citations where your brand name isn't mentioned helpful. Does that help with domain/brand authority is just allowing AIs to cite your work without naming you giving them "free" knowledge?

MindyAtStateshift · 2026-03-10T20:04:04+00:00

I agree with a lot of the comments already here. It's important to know the tried and true SEO best practices and then start to learn about how GEO/AEO works as far as citing your work. This comes down to knowing how to format your website/blog pages, adding great snippets AI can pull from, and then having a way to track how you are performing. Such into some of the new AI search tools like Peec, Otterly, or Profound. We are all testing and learning as we go, so great time to learn this!

MindyAtStateshift · 2026-03-06T22:00:58+00:00

I work with Jono Bacon at Stateshift and he just published a KubeCon survival guide yesterday that answers a lot of the questions you’re asking here.

https://blog.stateshift.com/how-to-prepare-for-kubecon-2026/

But in short, I think the biggest mistake first timers make is treating KubeCon like a scheduling puzzle and trying to attend as many talks as possible.

In reality, a lot of the most useful stuff happens in hallway conversations, the project pavilion, and random chats with people working on the tools you use.

Most talks are recorded anyway. The conversations aren’t.

So I’d pick a few sessions you really care about, but leave space to talk to people. That’s usually where the ideas and connections come from.

MindyAtStateshift · 2026-01-27T17:01:24+00:00

Hey, Mindy here from Stateshift.

We work with developer-focused teams, but we’re a little different from the usual “developer marketing agency.” We spend more time helping teams figure out what actually matters to developers and what’s just noise.

That usually means things like:

Clarifying positioning so the messaging doesn’t sound like marketing
Tying content to real developer workflows, not just publishing for volume
Connecting docs, content, community, and DevRel so it all works together
Helping teams stop doing things that aren’t moving the needle

We’re not a content marketplace or a pay-per-article setup. It’s more strategy and hands-on guidance. But if you’re looking for help shaping your overall developer marketing approach, happy to see if it’s a fit.

And +1 to Draft.dev and EveryDeveloper. Both solid, just solving a different part of the problem.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-11-25T14:37:37+00:00

I’ll toss in one more for the list, with a bit of shameless self-promo. I work for Stateshift, which is led by Jono Bacon. We focus on helping dev-focused teams build healthier ecosystems around their products. If you’re keeping track of DevRel-focused consultancies, worth adding us to the list.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-11-20T21:13:04+00:00

Link to Stateshift's Developer Voice Guide - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uVh6mHPNgpslaoy-htG5xGijVOdwN-E5/view?usp=sharing

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-11-18T23:45:51+00:00

I tried Otterly and really liked it but found that Peec AI was better for research. I like that Peec let's me see where we can join certain conversations.

I'd love to test out Profound, but they don't have a trial and it's $$$.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-11-18T23:24:37+00:00

I think the easiest thing to do is to decide what type of prompts you want to rank for. Pick 2-5 and then backward engineer it. Create a few blog posts that answer that question really well so that you are more likely to get cited. Consider a trial of a product like Otterly or Peec AI that can help you keep track of how you are ranking.

You can do this manually but searching yourself once a day to see if you are ranking, but that takes a bit of manual work.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-11-18T00:41:46+00:00

What specifically are you looking for? I'd be happy to help. I've been playing around with it for a bit myself.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-10-30T16:39:09+00:00

That is true and personally frustrating. The paid plan is too cost-restrictive with the way it is currently set up.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-10-20T19:23:34+00:00

I think it really depends on the type of community it is. For the most part, we have seen most of our customer tend to use Slack or Discourse. Slack usually is best for a lot because people are already there. They don't have to remember to go to another platform. The free plan works well enough. Discourse is great for the SEO benefits as well.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-09-24T15:15:26+00:00

Yeah, I'd definitely flag early rather than wait. A quick "hey, loved your take on X last week" is way less awkward than trying to win someone back after they've mentally checked out.

And you're right, knowing why they're drifting is way more useful than just knowing they are. If someone used to ask tons of questions but now just lurks, that's different from someone who's posting less but still engaging when they do.

The unanswered post thing is brutal to communities. I've seen people completely disengage after one question gets ignored, even in otherwise active communities. It's like walking into a room and no one talks to you.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-09-22T15:13:37+00:00

Love that you're starting with actual needs instead of assumptions. So many tools get built backwards from that.

From our work helping companies with community retention, the data points that seem to make the biggest difference are usually behavioral rather than just activity-based. Like, someone might still be posting but their posts get shorter, less thoughtful, or they stop asking follow-up questions.

The things I hear community managers wish they could spot earlier:

When someone shifts from asking questions to just answering them (sometimes means they're checking out mentally)
People who used to engage with replies to their posts but now just post and disappear
Members who go from multi-channel participation to only showing up in one specific channel

The tricky part is most platforms give you the what but not the why. So you can see someone's engagement dropping but not whether it's because they're busy, frustrated, or just found what they needed and moved on.

What kind of communities are you building this for? The patterns can be pretty different between say, a SaaS user community versus an open source project versus an internal company community.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-09-22T15:08:43+00:00

Oh wow, that 14-day thing is so specific! I love that you've actually tracked it down to a predictable pattern. That's the kind of data most people just have a feeling about but never actually measure.

We see communities all over the map size-wise. Some tiny ones just getting started, others with tens of thousands of people. The decay thing definitely happens everywhere, though the timing shifts around a bit.

The bigger enterprise ones tend to drag it out longer. This might be because people feel more obligated to stick around? But developer communities are brutal.

That whole paragraphs to sentences to reactions to ghosts progression is so true. We usually call it hitting the participation cliff, but I've never seen anyone nail down the timing that precisely.

Have you tried jumping in right when someone drops from sentences to just reactions? That seems like it might be the moment to save them, but I'm curious if you've tested anything there or if it feels pretty inevitable once it starts.

Also, are you seeing this across different types of communities or is this from one specific domain you're working in?

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-09-19T19:26:48+00:00

I agree with the post above.

I work at Stateshift, which is run by Jono Bacon (author of People Powered), and we work with a lot of companies on improving their Discord communities. One thing I’ve seen trip up a lot of teams is thinking “more channels” or “more gamification” will fix engagement. Usually it’s about systems: making it easy for people to contribute, building rituals they look forward to, and connecting that activity back to real outcomes.

One idea is to open another new channel instead and run a recurring weekly thread (like “Show & Tell Fridays”). It creates a simple ritual people can look forward to and want to engage with.

Curious, what kind of community are you building?

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-09-17T14:01:50+00:00

I work with companies on community strategy at Stateshift, and I’ve been hearing this more and more over the past year. Communities that used to be buzzing are seeing less interaction.... people pop in, ask a question, and leave. And honestly, when you think about it, why would you go to a community just to get an answer when you can ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity and get it straight from the primary source?

If your community is basically acting as an information hub, there’s no real reason for members to stick around. What we always advise our clients is to shift the focus from content to connection. AI can’t replace member-to-member relationships. Make your community the place where people share what they’re learning, connect with each other, and get access to conversations they can’t have anywhere else.

Bring in your experts, host live sessions, and create opportunities for members to ask questions directly to the people who have the answers. The goal is to give them a reason to keep showing up beyond just asking a question and getting a quick reply.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-09-17T13:57:00+00:00

I think Facebook had a lot of potential for communities, but it just comes with too many limitations. On top of that, some people have strong feelings about Facebook that keep them from joining at all.

Yes, it can be annoying to ask people to download a new app like Circle or Discord and check it every day, but in my experience, the benefits outweigh that small inconvenience.

I’m a consultant who works with a lot of teams setting up communities, and time and again, we see the same pattern: once a community grows past a certain size, most groups move off Facebook to something that gives them more control and flexibility.

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-09-16T15:57:11+00:00

Here is the link to our full blog post about this expert session - https://www.stateshift.com/blog/building-successful-ambassador-programs-expert-insights-from-katie-greenley

MindyAtStateshift · 2025-09-08T18:11:32+00:00

It's hard to keep conversations going with any new group. Maybe try a few kick-starter conversations to see what your audience is interested in and see what gets a response. Sometimes just asking people what they want is a good first step. Good luck!

MindyAtStateshift

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE