In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Jake Ward, founder and CEO of Data Protocol, a platform supporting developer education and experience. Jake shares his path from public affairs to tech entrepreneurship, including lessons from founding a trade association and working with major players like Google, Meta, and Intel. The conversation explores the complexities of developer engagement, sales in enterprise environments, and how empathy-driven design can deliver 30x industry engagement. Jake also introduces "experience operations"—a strategic framework to reduce friction and increase value across user interactions.

Key Points From This Episode

[00:00:00] Jake introduces himself and his dual role as CEO and utility player at Data Protocol.

[00:02:10] Jake’s early insights into developer support while running the Application Developers Alliance.

[00:05:57] Explanation of Data Protocol’s platform, design, and high engagement rates.

[00:08:00] The initial platform vision and disconnect between developer needs and company support.

[00:10:57] Transition to “experience operations” and reducing friction in user interactions.

[00:12:37] Why Data Protocol builds its own content and the weaknesses of other developer video platforms.

[00:15:06] Challenges with white-labeling and maintaining high-quality engagement.

[00:17:26] Enterprise teams misaligned under marketing vs. product and its impact on DevRel.

[00:19:00] Jake’s background and how past roles helped him close early big-name clients.

[00:23:35] Learning enterprise sales without a traditional sales background.

[00:28:14] Rethinking the offer to support a broader customer base and scale sales.

[00:32:08] Misalignment between platform fit and developer ecosystem maturity.

[00:34:19] How Jake builds long-term enterprise relationships through strategic conversations.

[00:38:23] Maturing as a founder and shifting from short-term wins to long-term partnerships.

[00:40:41] Jake’s leap into entrepreneurship and the emotional and mental toll of building a company.

[00:47:01] Caring deeply about everything as a founder—and why it never gets easier.

[00:50:13] Avoiding false accountability and democratizing decision-making inside the team.

[00:53:54] Books that shaped Jake's thinking, including The Messy Middle and Isaacson’s Steve Jobs.

[00:57:14] Why you shouldn’t start a company unless you feel compelled to make it real.

Links:

• Jake Ward on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmward/
• Data Protocol: https://dataprotocol.com/
• Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughes
• Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com