Think Like a Developer. Win as a Communicator.

Stop chasing outputs. Start building outcomes.

I once sat in a meeting where engineers were debating cable routing and substation siting for a 200MW solar project. The drawings were immaculate. The math checked out. But when the CFO asked, “Looks great on paper, but how do we get people to believe this project won’t fail?” the room went silent.

That moment stuck with me. Large-scale developers don’t measure success in drawings or models—they measure it in outcomes: financing approved, permits secured, stakeholders aligned, COD dates met. Technically sound schematics are essential. So is a story that earns trust. One proves performance; the other unlocks capital, approvals, and partner confidence. Together, they get you to ‘yes.’”

And communications is no different. Too often, comms teams churn out press releases, brochures, and social posts without reverse-engineering from the outcome that actually matters: what will it take for a client, partner, regulator, or investor to say yes?

What Makes Decision-Makers Say Yes

For developers, every step is about trust: with banks, regulators, partners, and communities. Communications leaders need the same mindset—because the only output that matters is whether your story gives decision-makers the confidence to move forward.

Here are five trust dynamics that drive both development and communications:

• Trust is non-negotiable. 99% of B2B decision-makers say trust is critical in choosing a vendor.
  – For developers, no trust = no financing, no permits, no project. For comms leaders, credibility has to be the first deliverable.

• Insight beats spin. 73% of executives say thought leadership is more trustworthy than marketing collateral.
  – Developers trust stamped drawings over glossy renderings. Comms should work the same way: show depth, not decoration.

• Proof pays forward. Trusted suppliers are twice as likely to get recommended or command a premium.
  – Developers reward proven partners with the next contract. Comms leaders should build the same reinforcing loop: deliver consistency, earn trust, get invited back.

• Clarity is risk mitigation. 43% of B2B buyers admit they make “defensive” decisions more than 70% of the time.
  – Developers obsess over risk. Comms leaders should too: an unclear, inconsistent story will never be the “safe yes.”

• Borrowed trust works. Over 90% of buyers trust peers, and 80% trust analysts or independent experts over vendor messaging.
  – Developers validate with consultants, EPCs, and analysts. Comms leaders should do the same: weave third-party voices into the story.

At the end of the day, it’s not the prettiest schematic—or the splashiest press release—that matters. It’s the one that gives your audience the confidence to say yes.

How Communications Leaders Can Think Like Developers

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Reverse-engineer from the outcome. Developers start with COD in mind and work backward. Comms leaders should start with the “yes” they need—approval, investment, buy-in—and design messaging that gets there.

2. Anticipate the deal-breakers. In development, every project risk is mapped in advance—financing hurdles, permitting delays, interconnection bottlenecks. Comms should do the same by identifying credibility gaps, objections, and inconsistencies before they derail momentum.

3. Work from one backbone. Just as project disciplines align to a master set, comms channels should align to a single narrative architecture. Different audiences, same foundation.

4. Sequence for momentum. Projects move in order: secure land, then financing, then construction. Communications should sequence too—deciding which audiences need to hear what first to build confidence at the right time.

5. Bring in validators. Developers de-risk projects with EPCs, independent engineers, and consultants. Comms leaders can borrow trust the same way—through expert voices, analysts, and credible third parties that reinforce the story.

The mindset is simple: in development, nothing is left to chance. Every step is planned, sequenced, and stress-tested against risk. Communications should work the same way—because the end goal isn’t outputs. It’s delivering trust.

The Bigger Point

Projects rise or fall on the confidence they create—confidence that financing will close, permits will clear, and partners will deliver. Communications is no different.

The companies that win aren’t just technically excellent—they’re strategically clear. They reverse-engineer their story from the outcome, just like developers reverse-engineer projects from COD.

Because trust isn’t the byproduct. Trust is the product. And if your communications don’t give people the confidence to say yes, the project never gets built.

Want a comms partner who thinks like a developer? That’s my wheelhouse. Let’s talk.