DigitalOcean Ripple Writers Program
Build with DigitalOcean, write about it, get paid.
What is Ripple Writers?
Ripple Writers is our way of supporting developers who build with DigitalOcean and want to share what they learn to inspire fellow builders. We pay $500 per published article to document your real experiences with our platform—the architecture decisions, performance results, problems solved, and honest assessments of what worked (and what didn’t).
We’re running this because we want to shine the spotlight on more genuine voices in the conversation about cloud and AI infrastructure. Content must be published on your owned platform—your blog, Medium, Substack, Dev.to, or LinkedIn. You retain full ownership and editorial control while we compensate you for creating content that helps other developers make informed decisions.
What topics are you looking for?
We’re looking for hands-on technical content that shows real implementation. We're especially interested in hearing from developers working in these areas.
Developer experience and tooling
Build pipelines, testing environments, deployment automation, local development workflows—integrated with DigitalOcean services. Share the tooling and workflows that make your development process better.
Cloud infrastructure architecture
Real-world systems combining compute, storage, databases, and networking—showing how Droplets, Load Balancers, App Platform, and other services work together. We want to see complete architectures, not isolated components.
Object storage and content delivery
Implementation patterns, CDN integration, backup solutions, cost comparisons for storage-heavy applications—using Spaces. Show us how you’re using object storage in production.
Database architecture and optimization
Migration strategies, replication setups, performance tuning, backup and recovery workflows—with Managed Databases. Document what actually worked when you moved databases or optimized performance.
Container orchestration and management
Cluster setup and configuration, service mesh implementations, networking patterns, security hardening—using our Kubernetes offering. Share your real-world configurations and the decisions behind them.
Container orchestration and management
Cluster setup and configuration, service mesh implementations, networking patterns, security hardening—using our Kubernetes offering. Share your real-world configurations and the decisions behind them.
AI and machine learning workflows
Model training and fine-tuning, GPU performance benchmarking, cost analysis for ML workloads, inference optimization—featuring Gradient AI Platform or GPU Droplets. We want to see your actual performance metrics and what you learned.
Application deployment and hosting
Production-ready deployments, multi-environment configurations, CI/CD integration, scaling strategies—particularly using App Platform or Droplets. Show us how you actually deploy and manage applications in production
What's the payout structure?
Writers receive $500 per published article. Additionally, you’ll get platform credits to test and experiment with DigitalOcean services—because we want you building and testing, not just theorizing.
What is the publication process?
1. Pitch
Submit your topic idea through our pitch submission form. Tell us what you want to build or share, and why it matters to other developers.
2. Review
We’ll review your pitch within 5-7 business days. If it’s approved, we’ll reach out with next steps.
3. Onboard
You’ll complete vendor onboarding (required for payment). Meanwhile, you can start working on your article.
4. Write
Pen an article for your platform. You maintain full editorial control—we’re here to support, not dictate.
5. Review
Our developer content team will review your draft and provide feedback. This is collaborative, not prescriptive. We want to help you tell the most compelling story.
6. Publish
Once everything looks good, publish on your platform and promote through your channels.
7. Get paid and amplified
We pay you $500 and may promote your content across DigitalOcean’s newsletters and social channels—like Twitter (X) and LinkedIn.
8. Repeat
We’re looking for ongoing relationships, not just one-off contributions. Keep building, keep writing.
What is DigitalOcean looking for in an author?
We’re looking for technical practitioners who are already building and shipping. Ideally, you’re someone who:
- Works as a developer, DevOps engineer, platform engineer, or technical decision-maker with hands-on experience
- Publishes regularly on platforms like Medium, Dev.to, LinkedIn, Substack, or maintains a personal blog
- Has an engaged audience (we care more about engagement and reach than follower counts)
- Wants to build an ongoing relationship rather than contribute a single piece
We’re looking for a diverse group of voices across technical backgrounds, experience levels, and perspectives. What matters most is that you’re building real things and want to share what you learn.
Ripple Writers FAQs
Can I publish on multiple platforms?
Yes, you can cross-post your article to multiple platforms after it’s published on your primary platform. Just let us know where you plan to publish it initially so we can coordinate our promotion efforts.
I'm a first-time technical writer. Can I participate?
We’re looking for people who already publish regularly online and have an engaged audience on their platform. If you’re just getting started with technical writing, we’d recommend building up a few published pieces and an audience first, then applying to the program.
Can I write about competitive platforms or compare DigitalOcean to alternatives?
Absolutely—honest comparative reviews are incredibly valuable for developers making platform decisions. We want your genuine assessment of how DigitalOcean stacks up against alternatives based on your real experience.
I have content that's already published. Can I submit it through the Ripple Writers program?
No, we’re looking for new content created specifically for this program. However, if you have an existing article that you’d like to significantly update or expand with new DigitalOcean implementations, pitch us the updated version.
I cannot receive payments via PayPal. Do you support other payment methods?
Yes, we support multiple payment methods beyond PayPal. During the vendor onboarding process, you’ll be able to select from available payment options that work for your location and preferences.
What is the payout structure for Ripple Writers?
You receive $500 per published article plus platform credits to test and experiment with DigitalOcean services. Payment is processed after your article is published and you’ve completed vendor onboarding.
How do you evaluate pitches?
We’re looking for hands-on technical content that documents real implementation—actual code, architecture diagrams, performance metrics, and problems you solved. Strong pitches show us what you built, how you built it, and what results you got with DigitalOcean products. We also look for writers who have an engaged audience on the platform where they’ll publish.
What does the Ripple Writers process look like?
You start by pitching your idea through our submission form, and we review it within 5-7 business days. If approved, you’ll onboard as a vendor, write your article on your own platform, work with our team on revisions, then publish and get paid. The typical timeline from approval to publication is 2-4 weeks depending on complexity.
Apply to Ripple Writers!
We're currently accepting pitches for articles and are especially interested in content covering App Platform, Gradient AI Platform, Kubernetes, Managed Databases, and Spaces. We accept pitches for original content published on your owned platform—Medium, Dev.to, LinkedIn, personal blog, or Substack. You retain full ownership and editorial control.
