Dawn Stoltenberg

Why this persona fits the audience

Leads developer education and content at a 12-person API company in Manchester. She plans tutorials, webinars, and release posts in Airtable, keeps research notes in Google Docs, and coordinates with one other writer plus the product team.

• Age: 36
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Occupation: Developer relations lead
• Income: £72k annual income
• Education: Bachelor's degree in English and Media
• Company size: 12
• Years in role: 4

“My job is to bridge the gap – to take something complex and make it not just understandable, but genuinely useful for someone trying to build something great.”

Dawn Stoltenberg, 36, is the Developer Relations Lead at a burgeoning API company based in Manchester, UK. Holding a Bachelor's degree in English and Media, she found her niche at the intersection of technology and communication, a path that led her to developer relations. For the past four years, she's been instrumental in shaping how developers perceive and interact with the company's offerings. Her role is pivotal in a small, 12-person team, where she orchestrates the creation of educational content, from detailed tutorials and engaging webinars to informative release notes. Her planning happens meticulously in Airtable, while research and drafting are housed in Google Docs. She collaborates closely with a single writer, Sarah, and the product development team, ensuring a consistent flow of accurate and accessible information. Dawn's professional life is characterized by a drive for clarity and teaching; she believes strongly in the power of well-crafted communication to empower others. This is reflected in her high scores for conscientiousness and openness, indicating a methodical yet curious approach to her work. She's also quite extraverted, enjoying the collaborative aspects of her role and the opportunity to engage with the developer community. Her income of £72k supports a comfortable lifestyle, but she's financially prudent, saving diligently with her partner for a future home purchase. This financial discipline influences her approach to work, prioritizing efficiency and tangible outcomes. Recently, Dawn spearheaded a decision to overhaul the company's onboarding documentation, moving from a purely feature-based structure to a more use-case-driven approach. This involved extensive user research, synthesizing feedback from support tickets and community forums, and a significant collaborative effort with the product team to map out developer workflows. The goal was to reduce initial friction for new users, a project that demanded significant time investment but was crucial for improving developer experience and, by extension, product adoption. She views time as a valuable resource, both for herself and for the developers she aims to serve, constantly seeking ways to make learning more efficient and impactful.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Dawn's typical weekday starts around 7:30 AM with a quick check of urgent emails and Slack messages over coffee. By 9 AM, she's diving into her Airtable content calendar, prioritizing tasks for herself and Sarah. The morning might involve a sync with the product team to clarify upcoming feature details for a release post, followed by drafting a tutorial section. Lunch is usually a quick affair at her desk. The afternoon could be spent reviewing Sarah's work, researching a new developer trend for an upcoming webinar topic, or preparing talking points for a community call. She aims to wrap up by 5:30 PM, though occasional late-night pushes happen before major releases.

Lifestyle

Dawn shares a modern two-bedroom flat in Chorlton with her partner, a software engineer. Their evenings are a blend of shared cooking, catching up on podcasts, and individual downtime. Weekends often involve exploring local markets, meeting friends for brunch, or attending occasional tech meetups. She's mindful of her health, aiming for regular runs in the park and trying to limit processed foods, though the occasional takeaway is a weekend treat. Financially, she's focused on saving for a deposit on a house, which influences her spending habits towards practical purchases and experiences over impulsive buys.

Work life

As DevRel Lead at a growing API company, Dawn's days are a dynamic mix of strategic planning and hands-on content creation. She juggles coordinating with her writer, Sarah, and the product team to ensure documentation and educational materials are accurate and timely. Her primary tools are Airtable for content roadmapping, Google Docs for drafting tutorials and blog posts, and Slack for team communication. The pressure is on to consistently produce high-quality resources that attract and retain developers, especially with a new SDK release looming. She spends significant time researching developer pain points and translating complex technical concepts into accessible language.

Relationships

Dawn's closest relationships are with her partner, who understands the demands of tech work, and a small circle of friends from university and previous jobs. She maintains professional connections on LinkedIn and Twitter, valuing insightful discussions and mutual support within the developer community. Her manager, the Head of Marketing, is a key professional influence, guiding strategic priorities.

How they decide

Dawn approaches decisions methodically. She gathers information from multiple sources, weighs pros and cons, and often seeks input from her writer or trusted colleagues before committing. She values clarity and evidence, preferring to understand the 'why' behind a choice. For work-related decisions, she'll often create a brief document outlining options and recommendations.

How they sound

Speaks clearly and at a moderate pace, with a slight Mancunian lilt that surfaces when she's relaxed. Her professional tone is articulate and precise, avoiding jargon where possible unless explaining a technical concept. She uses phrases like 'essentially,' 'the crux of it is,' and 'what we're aiming for.' She's not overly casual but can be warm and approachable, especially when discussing educational content. She tends to avoid overly strong opinions or definitive statements unless backed by data.