Imagine a working day in the life of a marketer, reading through all the social media updates and accidentally coming across a mention on X (formerly Twitter) from a company saying they are using your services for their business. Nothing extraordinary, right? Well, it depends!
As a Marketer, looking through all of the updates and mentions takes a lot of time. Usually, it’s just a nice read, occasionally, it’s a good opportunity to support your customers by advising them on how to solve a problem. But sometimes it is a pleasant way to see how other businesses operate successfully using your service. And that is the story of how we first found OKAY DEV. If you haven’t heard about this platform and are a developer, designer, or digital artist, it’s a must to read our blog and learn more about it!
OKAY DEV - a creative development community
When we first started learning about the OKAY DEV platform, we immediately realized they align perfectly with our vision of a creative community we are wanting to gather around Creator Suite - the recent product we released for content creators and creatives of all kinds, from freelancers and podcasters to micro businesses like creative studios. So, what is the OKAY DEV platform all about?
It originally started as a private Slack workspace for creative developers who wanted a more meaningful space to share ideas, ask thoughtful questions, and get quick, insightful feedback from peers. As we learned from Eric, the platform owner, the group was kept intentionally small to preserve the quality of conversation and connection. He has always felt that creative developers haven’t had a true online home, so he decided to build OKAY DEV to be that hub that highlights people behind the work, offers support, and makes creative talent easier to discover.
OKAY DEV also offers a PRO tier, which gives its members increased visibility in the directory and gallery, making it easier for hiring managers to find standout talents.
Now you may wonder - how is this platform different from many others, offering a portfolio solution for creative heads? Eric is building OKAY DEV as the complete opposite of cluttered, algorithm-driven, and over-commercialized platforms; he wants it to be focused, human, and genuinely useful for the creative community.
When we first talked with Eric, we were impressed with how strongly he believes in the idea behind his platform for a creative development community. The more we learned about his story, the more we feel he knows what he is doing, and we believe in his idea as much as he does! He has been freelancing since 2018 and has been a part of the web industry for a while now. Over the years, he’s worked across a variety of industries, but today he focuses on building thoughtful, visually driven websites for clients and design agencies. Could there be a better platform owner for the creative community than someone also doing this professionally? We don’t think so!
What do OKAY DEV and ELASTIC EMAIL have in common?
A passion for the creative community! A fundamental understanding of their struggles, and a need to build tools and solutions to help them overcome their challenges and succeed.
When we talked with Eric, he mentioned that email is still one of the most effective ways to connect with an audience. We firmly agree with that! It could also be the easiest way to stay connected with those who really want to hear from you. Building a presence online (like on social media) is one thing, but effectively communicating with your community is another. And we believe that emails play a better role in this case. What we also agree on with Eric is that a good email doesn’t have to be long or overly polished. It just needs to feel personal! Whether it’s an invite, a long-awaited update, or a quick roundup of things they care about, the best emails make recipients feel like they’re a part of something.
I try to keep things fun, casual, and to the point. When done right, email becomes something your subscribers actually look forward to - and that’s the goal.
Lastly, we both believe that personal connections mean more than a big marketing budget to spread the news about your business. How can you improve your products or build the best possible experience for your customers if you don’t know them?
When we read the story of OKAY DEV, what makes us feel inspired is that many of the creatives using the platform also meet up in person at events. How cool is that!? Thanks to the good understanding of the members of the OKAY DEV platform, Eric can build awesome new features, and we know that he has a couple to be released soon - a social feed without ads or algorithms, a peer-voted awards system, tools to publish member-written articles, and more. We can imagine that as the sole builder and maintainer of OKAY DEV, he wears many hats, but seeing his entrepreneurial spirit and engagement in the creative community, we are sure he makes it a truly special place for creatives everywhere!
What’s been especially cool is the personal connection. A casual mention on social media sparked a real conversation, which led to this interview. I’ve heard they’ve got some exciting new offerings on the way too - looking forward to seeing what’s next!
How does OKAY DEV use Elastic Email?
OKAY DEV uses the Elastic Email API product to support the platform's core system communications. That includes things like account notifications, sign-ups, and other essential transactional emails.
When we asked Eric why Elastic Email has been helpful for his business, he said:
Their API is easy to integrate, the service is reliable, and the value is hard to beat for a growing business like mine.
We couldn’t be happier to hear that because, from the beginning, our Email API product was released to support growing businesses by sending their mail at the most affordable price possible. And for years, we have done our best to thrive as such a platform!
We started this article by asking you to imagine a working day in the life of a marketer, but after preparing this story for you, we want to ask you to imagine two companies serving creative communities, trying to make their lives easier by providing them with the solutions and technology that help them succeed at every step of the journey! How cool it is that we can use our knowledge and experience to solve the day-to-day struggles of growing businesses, allowing them to focus on what they love doing - creating amazing products and things!
Thank you so much, Eric, for taking the time to tell us your story and share the mission behind the OKAY DEV platform. We’re cheering you on with your next platform updates, and we promise to support your growth as a reliable email partner! 🙌
And to all of you who are reading our blog - if you are an Elastic Email customer and want your business to be featured here, just contact us and tell us your story!
Anna
A marketing minded individual with a heart for a deeper story. When I am not at work, I co-create non-profit projects, play tennis or explore Instagram.
