In a perfect world, teams would be small enough that it would be painfully obvious what everyone was doing at any given point in time and metrics wouldn't exist outside of "Did we make more money?".  Metrics are a tax, or as Brandon Satrom likes to say, "A pound of flesh".  

That said, they are necessary to track effectiveness in larger organizations, but often encourage the wrong sort of behavior, even in roles where metrics can be clearly defined.  This is how we end up with half-baked bits and sleazy car salesmen.  The very DNA of developer relations prohibits this due to the fact that, when done properly, the job is primarily about relationships. You cannot put metrics on a relationship, nor can you normalize a measurement.  Is so-and-so a good boyfriend/girlfriend?  What are the metrics to be considered a good husband?  What numbers do I have to hit?  In that context, the concept of metrics is ridiculous, if not offensive.

If we had to measure it (and we do), I would throw down most of your top five, if not an exact facsimile.

- How many events did we attend?
- How many of those events did we speak at?
- How many articles did we write? (I'm the biggest fan of this one)
- How many webinars did we do?
- How many internal initiatives did we support?

I definitely agree with Todd on measuring the effort as opposed to the output.  Of course, I work for him so I guess I have to! :)

We're always looking for new ways to gauge the role without gutting it. DevRel has to be given the latitude to be honest genuine, and vulnerable. Primarily because those are the traits that are the foundation of good relationships. Forcing them to hit some number is a guaranteed way to make sure they lose their integrity.

Thanks to Michael for posting the PR doc.