Coffee Chat recording: Ask Me Anything about Managing API documentation projects
You can view the recording here:
The topic was pretty open-ended. Here are a few of the topics that came up:
- The tech writer is pulled in too late into the release cycle.
- Bug reports lack detail to be actionable.
- Engineers are confused about the tech writer role.
- Tech writers prioritize projects based on whoever is shouting the loudest for docs.
- Engineers are slow to review docs, dragging out timelines.
- Attention focuses only on documenting the latest features, not maintaining existing content.
- The tech writer discovers confusing API behavior too late to influence the product design.
- No time to test pre-release products—setup too hard.
- Dividing tasks among multiple writers for the same project is too difficult.
- Complex release cycles and processes are opaque.
For more information, see all the links in my Processes and methodology section in my API course:
- Following agile scrum with documentation projects
- Managing large documentation projects
- Managing small documentation requests
- Managing SDK releases
- Documentation kickoff meetings and product demos
- Processes for reviewing documentation
- Maintaining existing documentation
- Collecting feedback post-release
- Managing content from external contributors
- Changing internal doc culture
- Sending doc status reports – a tool for visibility and relationship building
- Broadcasting your meeting notes to influence a wider audience
- Ensuring documentation coverage with each software release
- DX content strategy with developer portals
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About Tom Johnson
I'm an API technical writer based in the Seattle area. On this blog, I write about topics related to technical writing and communication — such as software documentation, API documentation, AI, information architecture, content strategy, writing processes, agent skills, tech comm careers, and more. Check out my AI courses for more on the latest in AI and tech comm. If you're looking for info about documenting APIs, see my API documentation course.
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Finally, I want to note a couple of things. I usually write the first drafts of my posts myself and then use AI to improve accuracy, clarity, and detail in places, so my writing is a mix of human and AI. (Hopefully that's not too off-putting.) Also, the opinions I express on my blog are my own perspectives, not those of my employer.