Write an article on DDEV Value Proposition

[rfay]

The Issue

Working on marketing pitch, need "DDEV Value Proposition"

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[rpkoller]

copied over most of the comments i've made over in our conversation on discord plus added one or two more.

[rpkoller]

The first part of the first paragraph already got updated based on our chat on discord. i've also suggested to move the second part somewhere after the "what sets ddev apart" list but i think it works as is as well. there are only two small details left:

signficant -> significant was missing an "i"

We'll be be updating you regularly about this initiative. -> be is used twice. how about change it to something like We'll keep you updated about this initiative on a regular basis.

[rpkoller]

would it make sense to pick up the "choice theme" from the first paragraph and change the title to something like " What Sets DDEV Apart and Makes It The Right Choice?"

[rpkoller]

It's a single binary backed by Docker providers everywhere.

is not very clear. backed by docker providers everywhere made me scratch my head for a second. how about split the sentence into two and be more explicit about the docker providers? providing examples for docker providers would improve the readability. something like:

It is a single binary. It can be used with most Docker providers like Docker Desktop and Colima.

the reasoning behind exchange everywhere, which implies that ddev is working with each and every docker provider, with most was, that i am always hesitant to state that something works with everything. not sure if ddev is tested with all the available docker providers?

[rpkoller]

would it make sense to streamline the end with something like "... and takes less than a minute."?

[rpkoller]

When i've first read that sentence

Automated testing on all supported platforms and manual testing of every new feature make it rock solid.

i thought "make" refers to DDEV instead of the automated and manual tests. even though it is clear written correctly it is still somehow hard to read and process. but i haven't had an idea for an alternative suggestion yet.

[rpkoller]

how about the following, slightly modified, version:

A huge number of non-core features are supported via officially supported add-ons, including Apache Solr, Elasticsearch, and dozens of others. Aside the official add-ons there is a large number contributed add-ons maintained by the community.

[rpkoller]

instead of quickly how about using timely? instead of very, very quickly simply in a timely manner.. And i wonder what does the sentence with early attention at the end mean, and does it add additional information? because it was already communicated in the previous sentences that the responsiveness in all the channels is high.

[rpkoller]

the title is maintenance and the sentence is started with careful maintenance. as a naive reader i ask myself is maintenance and careful maintenance something different? and the sentence is sort of hard to read. upstream capabilities does that mean upstream features? and the info in parenthesis is sort of confusing in the context of upstream capabilities. is a php version or other tool changes capability/feature? plus the parenthesis make the sentence hard to read and process. and extensive automated testing sounds like ddev would test the code upsteam?

[rpkoller]

in the second sentence i would strike the although docker desktop is supported part. that is already mentioned in the beginning on the installation point (at least in my suggestion there ;) ) and maybe split the sentence into two?

It works with available FOSS Docker providers on every platform. Thereby you are not tied to closed-source commercial solutions like Docker Desktop.

[rpkoller]

the only nitpick is the following sentence.

DDEV consistently delivers on the promise of making local development work for your projects, every time.

when i start reading i always think the "local development work"..."for your project" instead of "making local development".. "work for your project.

[mattstein]

I’m assuming you’ve made sure any value proposition sharpening here is reflected on the ddev.com homepage, which receives vastly more traffic and is meant to persist—so I’m trying to ignore the context and get to the usual nitpickery for the post itself.

It would be strengthened as an appeal if it did more than describe DDEV features and translated them into reasons I (the reader) would be smart to invest in its development. That part is relegated into an invitation to calculate, so the bulk of the value proposition is dependent on me literally doing the math. Show me how to break the problem down and measure it. What some example cases might look like. How to encourage my company’s stakeholders to buy into support. Anticipate the reasons I might get lost or overwhelmed or disinterested and attempt to speak to them.

[mattstein]

Most images on the site are vaguely wide (16:9, 9:6, etc.) and it won’t stop you from using a square or even a tall rectangle that’s uncomfortably vertical on article detail pages. I’d crop it down, but we could just as well have the site enforce a standard ratio too. I’ve so far avoided that because it’s not been pleasant for images like this one.

[mattstein]

Don’t tell the reader what you’re doing, but concisely summarize the content:

Suggested change

	summary: "Explaining the value of DDEV that makes financial support of the project worth doing"
	summary: "Summary of DDEV’s benefits and why it’s a project worth your financial support."

[mattstein]

Current description offers some interpretation of details that aren’t there and leaves out the weird lap seating situation and twins. I’d be a bit more conservative and describe the contents of the image:

Suggested change

	alt: Image of a team of web developers working together at a table and delighting in the project they have in front of them
	alt: Illustration of people on laptops working around a table

[mattstein]

Edits for brevity: pruning redundancy, avoiding the implication that DDEV is the only tool someone chooses, making the fund drive about asking for help and not just explaining, fixing the link.

Seems like those are two priorities, and I’m not sure what the reader gets from the promise of regular updates on the subject. (Why not just offer updates?)

Suggested change

The DDEV project is committed to setting itself to be sustainable for the long term. We know that your choice of a tool is a signficant investment of resources, and we want your choice to last and be rewarding for the long term. In order to ensure that, we're doing a fund drive, explaining to teams, organizations, and individuals why it's important to financially support the project. Our key priority right now is adding [another paid maintainer](recruiting-maintainers.md) and a documentation/marketing maintainer. We'll be be updating you regularly about this initiative.

The DDEV project is committed to being sustainable for the long term. We know tooling choices can be a significant investment of resources, and we want DDEV be rewarding for the long term. To ensure that, we're doing a fund drive to explain the importance of financial support and ask for help. Our key priorities right now are adding [another paid maintainer](/blog/recruiting-maintainers/) and a documentation/marketing maintainer.

[mattstein]

Shorter, and run commands:

Suggested change

	- **Project Setup**: Adding DDEV to a project is as easy as `ddev config` and can take as little as a minute.
	- **Project Setup**: You can run `ddev config` to add DDEV to a project in less than a minute.

I realize that the very first run may be different, but I still think this is honest because in daily usage—most usage—it really is well under a minute. Includes editing generated YAML and restarting if you’re a dull one like me that constantly finds himself doing that.

[mattstein]

I’d drop this bullet point because you already conveyed the sense of diligence and care with testing and platform support. Feels like you’re calling attention to something you already told me.

[mattstein]

I’d drop the “it also” and Docker Desktop mention. It feels like a dig against Docker Desktop, which a lot of people are probably using? Seems like you can make the point about not being constrained without inviting needless scrutiny of Docker Desktop that may be more of a distraction.

Suggested change

	- **Open Source**: DDEV is completely Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). It also can work with FOSS Docker providers on every platform, so you're not tied to closed-source commercial solutions like Docker Desktop, although Docker Desktop is fully supported.
	- **Open Source**: DDEV is completely Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). It can work with FOSS Docker providers on every platform, so you're not tied to closed-source commercial solutions.

As written, it reads like “With DDEV you’re not stuck with closed-source things like the one you’re probably using, which we also support.”

[mattstein]

As I wrote, I think that as a CTA this is phoning it in and asking the reader to convince themselves that DDEV’s worth their investment without offering much help. Even taking one example audience member and demonstrating some napkin math would go a long way.

There is no “as you’re considering how to financially support the project” if they’re not convinced they should in the first place.

Who is the target audience and what barriers do they have for local development and financial support of the project?

[mattstein]

Fix title and link:

Suggested change

	To explore DDEV's strengths in more technical detail, see [What's so different about DDEV](whats-so-different-about-ddev-local.md).
	To explore DDEV's strengths in more technical detail, see [What’s so different about DDEV?](/blog/whats-so-different-about-ddev-local/).

[mattstein]

Shorten, and flip so that the more actionable item comes first:

Suggested change

	Ready to be part of our journey together? Let's discuss how you, your team, or your organization can contribute to funding DDEV. Contact randy (at) localdev.foundation or visit our [GitHub Sponsors page](https://github.com/sponsors/ddev).
	Ready to be part of our journey together? Visit our [GitHub Sponsors page](https://github.com/sponsors/ddev) or contact randy (at) localdev.foundation.

Does email (at) domain do anything anymore? I get not wanting spam, but in asking for something that format also gives a person work to do in order to assemble an email address. It’d be a lot more convenient as a link, even if it’s to a contact form.

[rfay]

I wonder why this was abandoned. It seems like it should have a future.