Imagine this scenario: you’ve built a new tool or service for software developers and engineers. Now you’re faced with a dilemma: what’s the best way to get it out into the world? How do developers and engineers research and evaluate new software?

According to Stack Overflow’s latest Developer Survey, which queried 89,184 developers from 185 countries, developers and engineers rely heavily on free trials when judging a new tool or service. Word-of-mouth is also key. Here’s the full chart:

Based on this data, it seems like ads and emails are some of the least effective ways to compel developers and engineers to consider a particular software platform. If you’ve spent any time on the web—or deleting hundreds of spam messages in your email—this finding makes total sense; we tend to ignore messaging forced upon us by mailing lists and algorithms.

But developers often trust other developers, and they’re more likely to sign up for a tool or service once they’ve actually tested it out. If you’re building a new product, consider a free (or extremely low-cost) trial or option, which could draw in new users willing to pay for the “full” version. Having a “street team” of product advocates may also boost adoption.

There’s also an interesting curveball in this data: generative A.I. Millions of tech professionals are already figuring out how to integrate generative A.I. tools such as ChatGPT and Bard into their existing workflows, such as writing and debugging code. Going forward, tech pros may also have to consider that people all over the world will rely on chatbots to help them make purchasing decisions or decide between products. Putting aside whether A.I. can truly evaluate an app or service on its merits, figuring out how to get a chatbot to mention your latest product could become a new strategy for developers, startups, and big software companies alike.