Principles propel our approach to policy.
Guiding Good Policy Worldwide
Our principles ensure we never lose sight of why we exist: To advocate for developers’ interests and the industry’s continued growth.
We always:
- Represent the interests of developers everywhere on industry and policy issues.
- Advocate for innovation and job growth.
- Encourage policies that lead to more well-trained developers who can provide robust, secure products and services.
- Pursue the reduction of barriers to innovation, while respecting consumer needs and trust.
- Recognize the complexities of the global marketplace and its impact on developers.
Your Most Common Policy Questions Answered
Do you fund political candidates and campaigns?
We do not. Although this is legal in the US (which might surprise our international visitors), we exclusively work at the policy level – encouraging candidates across the political spectrum to support developers and the digital economy. We’re not judging if you’re a big check writer – you do you.
Where does your funding come from?
We are member-funded, which means in practice that we accept funding from our big tech members. Our policy positions are independently developed however, and reflect what we believe is in the best interest of the broad developer community. Big tech has far more resources than we ever will, and we’re pretty sure they can defend their own interests.
Who determines your policy positions?
Our policy positions are independently developed by our staff based on our interactions with developers, policy makers, and tech experts. We are always eager to hear from our community, but have found that neither consensus nor majority rule is an appropriate mechanism to define our advocacy focus. We welcome everyone to change our minds.
Where are you headquartered, and where are you active?
Following the pandemic, we have evolved to a virtual organization incorporated in Washington, DC and the EU. We use coworking spaces and virtual office tools to support a mission that now spans 16 time zones. Imagine how fun it would be to work for us!
Do you represent big tech, or small tech?
We are vigilant in keeping our focus on small and mid-size developer-driven businesses. We advocate on developers behalf when we speak with elected officials or our platform partners, but we will also defend ecosystems from big government where we think developers are going to face collateral damage. One side benefit of our focus is that we get the chance to advocate for developers when we speak with our platform partners to improve how everyone works together.
Why advocate for developers, anyways?
Developers have no union, they don’t cluster and vote together, and they generally see the ability to get around rules and solve impossible problems as their superpower. On the other hand, government is an immovable object that doesn’t care. We believe that digital technology is hugely beneficial, has saved lives, has raised people from poverty, and is rapidly eliminating the distance separating people and cultures. Whether devs realize it or not, there are plenty of people using the levers of policy to push their own agenda to the detriment of the software community. It’s our privilege to fight on the side of good (we have super powers of our own).
How do we make our voices heard?
As your policy advocates, we need to hear from you. Whether it’s over the phone, over Zoom, or over a coffee, we want to meet you and understand what makes your company tick. Our only mission is to make sure that you’re represented in capitals around the world. Connect with us!
The Developer Policy Network: Take a Stand With Your Peers
When our numbers grow, so does our impact. Join the Developers Policy Network and commit to spending few minutes getting to know us.
After that, we may ask you to possibly sign onto a letter or speak with a policymaker in the future. Oh, we’ll also send you an occasional email asking for your support or expertise but nothing spammy. It’s an easy way to drive big change.