Exploring Developer Experience Factors in Software Ecosystems

Context: Developer Experience (DX) is a decisive coefficient both for the performance of developers and for keeping developers actively contributing to a software ecosystem platform. When it comes to understanding what affects DX, researchers and practitioners are faced with a number of factors. This topic still lacks a roadmap regarding the main factors that affect DX in SECO, since DX has a significant impact on developers becoming interested in SECO and staying engaged in contributing to the common technological platform. Goal: This study aims to investigate DX factors and characterize their influence on software developers to adopt and keep contributing to a SECO. Methods: we conducted a systematic mapping study (SMS) and selected 29 studies to analyze the state-of-the-art of DX in SECO. Next, we conducted a study using Delphi method with 21 software developers to evaluate how 27 DX factors, identified in the SMS, influenced them to adopt and keep contributing to a SECO through a questionnaire using the Delphi method. Results: The factors ``financial costs for using the platform'', ``desired technical resources for development'', ``low barriers to entry into the applications market'', ``more financial gains'' are the ones that most influence developers to adopt and keep contributing to a SECO. Conclusion: DX is crucial to the dynamics of SECO, promoting its health and sustainability. Our list of DX factors can help researchers and practitioners to deal with the main concerns related to DX in SECO from software developers' perspective.