Tech writing expert Calvin Fung shares practical tips for career advancement at Write the Docs conference. They discuss enhancing documentation with interactive elements and deep work principles from 'Slow Productivity.' Insights on managing distractions, calendar apps, and unity game development.
40:23
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Calvin Fung's Promotion Advice
Calvin Fung gave a talk on documenting your work aligned with your job description to prove readiness for promotion.
He emphasized creating a brag document to avoid surprises in career advancement discussions.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Enhance Docs with Evergreen Content
Use multiple media types like illustrations and evergreen videos in docs to keep content up-to-date.
Avoid relying on video for code that changes rapidly to reduce maintenance burden.
insights INSIGHT
Slow Climb Beats Viral Bursts
True productivity grows from slow, consistent effort rather than bursts of viral content creation.
Steady output over years builds a more solid audience and impact than chasing virality.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In this episode, you'll hear about the Write the Docs conference in Portland, a must-attend for anyone in the tech writing community. CJ and Colin chatted about the unique, community-focused vibe of the event, which was akin to RailsConf or RubyConf, and shared some standout talks. One highlight is Calvin Fung's "Beyond Words: Strategies for Leveling Up Your Tech Writing Career," where he details practical tips for documenting your work and aligning it with your job description to advance your career. They also discuss creative ways to enhance documentation using interactive elements, and offers tips on how to get involved and meet people at conferences.
You'll also hear about "Slow Productivity," Cal Newport's book that has us rethinking how they manage their workloads. We'll discuss the book’s core principles: (1) doing fewer things, (2) working at a natural pace, and (3) obsessing over quality. This leads to a deep dive into managing distractions, the anxiety around being constantly responsive, and the value of deep, focused work. Plus, they share updates on fun projects at Craftwork, like organizing painting crews with a drag-and-drop interface and rebuilding a pricing engine. Finally, they touch on their DIY approach to calendar management and Colin’s adventures in learning Unity for game development. This episode is packed with insights and practical advice for balancing productivity and creativity in the tech world.
Build and Learn