'developer-led' originates from the combination of 'developer' and 'led', where 'developer' refers to someone who creates or improves products, and 'led' is the past participle of 'lead', meaning to guide or direct.

'developer' comes from the word 'develop', which evolved from the Old French 'desveloper', meaning to unwrap or unfold. 'Led' is the past tense of 'lead', which comes from the Old English 'lǣdan'.

Initially, 'developer-led' meant projects initiated by developers, and this meaning has remained consistent.