How to set up your tech writer up for success | passo.uno : Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti on Technical Writing by Fabrizio Ferri Benedetti on technical writing
Picture yourself strolling through the aisles of a technical writing Costco, your huge shopping cart ready to transport the resources you need for your technical writer to succeed. Your list would contain the following:
- Provide the writer with adequate access level
- Mind the technical documentation toolchain
- Work with your writer toward a docs-first approach
- Put your writer at the center of AI development
- Empower your tech writer to tear down content silos
Provide the writer with adequate access level
Giving technical writers same level of access than developers enables them to work independently and gather information as things are being developed. This includes access to development chat rooms and code repositories.
Mind the technical documentation toolchain
Technical writers build documentation sites but they also need time to develop those tools and workflows.
Work with your writer toward a docs-first approach
Technical writers are often first early users of new features and developments.
The best teams I worked with, though, are the ones whose PMs know how to harness the insights coming from their technical writers and channel their observations into product improvements.
(note from myself: this applies equally to developer advocates)
Put your writer at the center of AI development
If you are utilizing LLMs like chat bots, involve your technical writers in the process to improve the messaging, rate answers and so on as they are highly knowledgeable in your product and great communicators.
Empower your tech writer to tear down content silos
Technical writers are great cross-deparmental members. They should be working with product, marketing, sales and training/support and companies should empower them to get through these silos.