This article is the last and final instalment of our blog trilogy presenting the highlights of the State of Developer Nation 27th report series.
You can quickly find links to the reports at the end of this article.
Read the first parts of our blogs here:
The topics we will focus on today are profiling the developers working on startups and how they are different from those in established companies, and exploring teamwork and how developers feel about their teams.
Developer Research Report: Profiling of technology professionals working at startups
We explored how startup workers differ from those working in non-startup or “established” firms, and the findings are quite revealing!
Startups take a diverse approach to revenue generation. Topping the list is contracted development, research, and consulting at 24%, emphasising the demand for specialised expertise. Close behind, selling software through portals (23%) and subscriptions (21%) showcases the growing importance of digital products and recurring revenue.
Startups are more likely to rely on direct software sales, subscriptions, and contracted services, while established firms have a more balanced revenue mix.
What does this tell us? Unlike established firms, startups lean more on in-app purchases, online commerce, and even physical product sales - showing their ability to experiment with new monetisation approaches.
Curious about how startups stack up against larger companies in software development experience, revenue, and areas of interest?
We break it all down in the full report!
Developer Research Report: What developers think about their teams
Strong teams are the foundation of great software development, but how do developers really feel about their teams? We took a deep dive into their perceptions, and the results are revealing!
Developers overwhelmingly value teamwork and adaptability - 78% report a strong sense of camaraderie, and 77% say communication within their team is efficient and transparent. These high levels of collaboration make it easier to tackle complex challenges and work across multiple technologies, which 78% of developers say they do regularly.
Developers overwhelmingly value teamwork and adaptability - 78% report a strong sense of camaraderie
However, while 76% believe their team is quick to adapt to changing priorities, innovation isn’t always a given. Slightly fewer developers (72%) agree their team actively explores new technologies, indicating that while many teams are agile, they may not always be pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
What does this mean? While teamwork and flexibility are strong, hierarchy is less clear - only 58% agree that their team has well-defined roles and boundaries. This suggests that many development teams function with loose or flat structures, which can be both a strength and a challenge.
Developers work in collaborative and adaptable environments, but innovation and hierarchy remain mixed experiences
Interested to learn more about how developers view their teams, leadership, and collaboration and how this differs based on software experience and region?
Check out the full report!
6 openly available reports for you to enjoy in full
As we mentioned in the introduction, the 27th State of Developer Nation series opens up a world of insights on 6 key, trending topics. You can access each industry report for free* here:
*No purchase is required, but you need to sign in to our Research Space
All reports are offered freely to our community and anyone interested in the technology space. Access everything with a single sign-in in our SlashData Research Space.
Do you need something more tailored to your needs? We do a lot of custom work. Get in touch with us.
About the authors
Stathis Georgakopoulos, Product Marketing Manager
Always keen to see what’s next in the industry, Stathis is the Product Marketing Manager for SlashData, setting the table and running the marketing activities. He's our go-to guy for all things marketing and does not hide his love for content marketing and creating helpful content.
Bleona Bicaj, Senior Market Research Analyst
Bleona is a behavioral specialist, enthusiastic about data and behavioral science. She holds a Master's degree from Leiden University in Economic and Consumer Psychology. She has more than 6 years of professional experience as an analyst in the data analysis and market research industry.