A Developer Survey That Leaves Out the Code
Developer surveys have a habit of drilling down into frameworks, tools, and syntax preferences. The State of JS and State of CSS surveys are no exception, focusing almost entirely on the technical side of the profession.
That leaves a big blind spot. The State of Devs survey, now open for participation, aims to fill it by asking about everything except code: careers, workplaces, health, hobbies, and more.
Beyond the Editor
The survey is built to capture both the lighter and heavier sides of a developer’s life. Alongside questions about favorite recent movies, video games, physical activities, and sleep habits, it digs into more serious territory. It asks what developers value about their workplace, the factors that lead to workplace discrimination, and which global issues weigh most heavily on the community.
A Broader Net
Branching out isn’t just about getting a more complete picture. It’s also a deliberate attempt to reach respondents who have historically been hard to attract. Developers who don’t fit the typical mold—whether due to gender, race, age, disabilities, or other factors—often face barriers to community involvement, and survey data has reflected that imbalance.
Previous outreach strategies have produced mixed results. By weaving topics relevant to underrepresented groups directly into the survey, this edition takes a different approach, including questions about workplace discrimination:
And what steps were taken in response:
A more representative sample would be a welcome outcome, but it’s not the only motivation. Those who are most vulnerable within the community often feel the effects of problematic issues or policies first; what hits them early tends to spread to everyone if left unaddressed. That makes confronting these topics particularly timely, especially as “DEI” becomes a contested term and years of inclusion work risk being rolled back.
The Questions That Keep Us Up
This first edition also ventures into the territory beyond work and daily routine, touching on broader concerns:
There’s an ongoing debate about keeping offices free of politics. It sounds appealing in theory, but in 2025 it feels increasingly difficult to pull off. As rights are challenged and governments shift toward authoritarianism, the idea that everything is fine grows harder to sustain—particularly given that the tech community itself has become a significant political force.
The survey only hints at this direction for now, but one future goal is to develop a clearer picture of developers’ ideologies and worldviews. Whether that’s a wise path or a step too close to hot-button issues is open for discussion, and feedback is welcome via the project’s GitHub issues. Either way, the current survey is an opportunity to help identify who developers really are, once the code is set aside.
