What is a "Developer"?

Access to funds and access to politicians (county planning and development offices).

Usually the most lucrative developers are politicians because they have access to both. And the politicians have access to future buyers (city, county, school property). In a sense, they can create their own demand.

Basically a property project manager with local political connections.

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They secure the funding, take the financial risk, design and get it approved and permitted, build it, seeing it through to completion (hopefully), and often reselling it after it is improved for a profit (hopefully).

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I like everything in this definition with the exception of "take the financial risk". I would much prefer the OPM approach.

While it is certainly possible and very lucrative (some years) to be a one man show, most developments require a team of folks to get it done. Aside from your own team, obviously you hire out the engineering, the design ( architecture, structural, mep, all the way down to wayfinding and art.), the general contractor, etc.
You then must be able to attract the capital stack to finance the projects. The stack is often around 35% equity and 65% bank loan. Within that 35%, a developer might put up 20% of it, and get the other 80% from a wealthy individual or a life insurance fund, as an example.

Political connections do help, but not necessarily required depending on the market you are in.

You take great financial risk between the property purchase, the fees to design to a point that you are able to get the land entitled for what you want to build, overhead, etc.

You have to know enough about all of these things to be a successful developer.

We just walked from a land contract after spending $2.5 MM in these pursuit costs, with nothing much to show.

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Developing is a major PITA FYI

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YMMV

What specifically do you want to know? I am a residential developer and in simplified terms find land, purchase it, design the water, sewer, paving and drainage... Construct infrastructure then sell the lots to home builders. There are a ton of other small issues that are even more difficult such as dealing power, telephone and cable, creating POAs, getting mail service, etc...

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I like everything in this definition with the exception of "take the financial risk".

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Its a tremendous amount of risk, especially if the market turns. If you are nervous about the risk then its not the right thing for you. The capital outlay on these types of projects is tremendous with no guarantee of return.