Pattern Recognition: this playbook works everywhere

Same consolidation pattern:
- Martech: Hubspot acquiring specialized tools
- Security: Palo Alto Networks buying cloud security, identity management
- Now: Dev tools

Specialized solutions get absorbed during rapid tech change.

Platform consolidation is inevitable.

Pre DX acquisition, Harness acquired Propelo (Jan 2023) and Armory (Jan 2024)

With the DevOps market heading to $43.17B by 2030 (21.76% CAGR) and enterprise buyers tired of managing dozens of point solutions...

The window for strategic exits is narrowing

LinearB's differentiation: combo AI code review w/ workflow automation + productivity measurement

But competition is fierce

- @coderabbitai.bsky.social hit $550M valuation with sophisticated multi-agent architecture
- Qodo leads open-source
- @github.com's Copilot = native integration advantage

Likely targets:
- LinearB
- Jellyfish
- Or or combo of smaller player (Swarmia, etc) + AI code review startup like @coderabbitai.bsky.social

+ expect @gitlab.com to snap up the other, and perhaps we'll see another acquisition of a smaller competitor like Allstacks as with Harness + Propello

There will be a counter-move.

@microsoft.com poses biggest threat with integrated @github.com, Azure DevOps, and Teams ecosystem

But they lack specialized developer productivity measurement capabilities.

My prediction:
Microsoft makes a counter-acquisition by mid-2026

With 90% of DX customers already using @atlassian.bsky.social products, the distribution synergy is obvious

Atlassian now has AI-powered tools AND the intelligence layer to measure their impact

Complete software delivery intelligence within a single ecosystem. No competitor can match this.

Then you add timing - we're in an AI measurement gold rush.

Companies are pouring money into @github.com's Copilot, @cursor.com.web.brid.gy & CLaude Code

The question: "Are these AI tools actually making developers more productive?"

Someone needs to answer that. DX positioned perfectly

DX's message was a brilliant wedge.

Here's what killed most competitors: developers RESIST being measured. It feels like surveillance.

DX's genius: framing as "improving developer experience" vs "measuring developer output"

Same data. Completely different narrative.

At the core of this approach was founder-driven brand building

Abi Noda grew his LinkedIn to 25K+ followers with consistent valuable content, while Laura evangelized.

Hard to do as a busy founder, but massive leverage when done right.

And their message? Pro-developers.

They created frameworks (Core 4), published with @github.com, hired key influencers (Laura Tacho as CTO)

A layered influence machine where every move reinforced their message - & was spread by their allies (like @lennysan.bsky.social)

Brilliant execution!
www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/introducin...

This isn't just fundraising. It's strategic network acquisition. Influence as moat.

While competitors built dashboards, DX positioned as THE research authority on developer experience measurement.

They led with developer experience --> productivity, and did deep research

And @atlassian.bsky.social has never been afraid of large acquisitions to enhance their platform capabilities - Trello ($425M), Opsgenie ($295M), AgileCraft ($166M), Loom ($975M), BrowserCo ($610M) and now DX for $1B

But what got DX to a $1B valuation (and rumored $40M ARR)?

When a company hits unicorn status off less than ~$5M raised, it reveals something bigger than stellar execution. It reveals an exploding market.

The developer productivity space is entering its consolidation era, accelerated by AI measurement becoming mission-critical.

A week after @atlassian.bsky.social's $1B DX acquisition (their biggest ever), the strategic implications are becoming clearer.

This isn't just about one deal. The entire dev productivity market is entering a new phase & more acquisitions are coming!

Here's what it means🧵👇

MIT published research validating what I see daily: 95% of enterprise AI initiatives are failing to deliver measurable business impact

Yet 19-year-old founders build $20M ARR biz in 12 months using the same AI tools

The difference isn't the tech it's execution
open.substack.com/pub/conorbro...