Signals and Threads

Writing, Technically with James Somers

23 snips
Sep 1, 2021
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INSIGHT

Writing Requires Developer Empathy

  • Being a programmer first and a writer second helps craft documentation that truly meets developer needs.
  • Empathy for the unusual development environment is key to making documentation accessible and useful.
INSIGHT

Culture Focuses on People Over Docs

  • Jane Street's culture strongly ties software to individual owners, making human contact central to problem-solving.
  • This can undermine documentation use since discussions via phone leave no searchable records for others.
ADVICE

Organizations Must Champion Documentation

  • Recognize that documentation benefits others more than the author, so personal incentive is often lacking.
  • Organizations must prioritize and invest in documentation culture for collective productivity gains.
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