People usually associate advanced software engineering with gray-bearded experts with vast knowledge of how computers and things like compiler internals work. However, having technical knowledge is just the base requirement to work in the field. In my experience, the greatest minds in the field are not just experts in knowledge, but also extremely efficient communicators, particularly in writing. Following these 8 principles can help you maximize your efficiency in written communication:

In this post, I share 8 principles I believe in:

  1. Less is more
  2. Start with the solution or the ask
  3. Show the facts, with examples
  4. Always quantify
  5. Include links and references
  6. Explain why it matters
  7. Ask feedback from one person
  8. Sleep on it

As engineers and developers, we often focus heavily on technical skills while neglecting the importance of clear, compelling writing. But the reality is, our ability to communicate effectively can have a major impact on our careers.

  • astrsk@piefed.social
    12·
    8 months ago

    Good tips, but how does one practice them? Often times I see advice along the same lines but no offers on how to improve these skills.

    • h3rm17@sh.itjust.works
      51·
      8 months ago

      Write to non technical humans and ask them for feedback, and if it is clear what’s goong on even if they dont understand some stuff.

      Then do the same with various levels of technical people and different walks of life.

    • arendjr
      31·
      8 months ago

      I would suggest writing blog posts about topics that you’re familiar with. Make sure you write the posts such that also people not too familiar with the material can follow it. Share your posts, and ask for questions and feedback.

      • astrsk@piefed.social
        2·
        7 months ago

        I have been thinking about starting a blog.

        Any recommendations for self-hosted blogging? The setup itself might be worthy of a post :)

        • arendjr
          2·
          7 months ago

          I use Astro, because it allows me to write posts in Markdown and publish as a static website, though there are certainly other solutions that allow you to achieve the same thing. I just bundle it up in an Nginx Docker image and host it on Fly.io. If you want you can look at my setup here, though beware it isn’t documented (even the README is already out of date): https://github.com/arendjr/phebe

  • Oliver Lowe@apubtest2.srcbeat.com
    132·
    7 months ago

    The last two points, “Ask feedback from one person”, and “Sleep on it” I think are great. Ironically the article ignores the rest of its own tips.

    1. Less is more

    Circular logic. Q: “how do I write more efficiently?” A: “with less words” This “tip” could be omitted entirely.

    1. Start with the solution or the ask. […] In ideal cases, the main message you want to convey is already in the title.

    Better title: “8 Writing Efficiency Tips for Software Professionals”, or maybe “8 Tips for Software Professionals to Communicate More Efficiently”?

    1. Show the facts, with examples

    No text extracts provided in the article. For example a rewritten paragraph, or comparison of some summaries.

    1. Always quantify

    Always! Except for this article which does not suggest a way to measure the efficiency of text e.g. number of words to convey the same message.

    1. Include links and references

    None provided.

    1. Explain why it matters

    Why would I want to write more efficiently? What real-world problems does efficient writing solve? Maybe I’m a software engineer new to the field and I don’t know how pressed for time some managers are, or how people are drowning in verbose corporate junk words?

    Maybe this article was LLM generated, like the cover graphic :(

    • lolcatnip@reddthat.comEnglish
      52·
      7 months ago

      I’m pretty sure this is precisely the kind of thinking OP is trying to break you out of. If you make it far enough in your career, dealing with people who talk like that will become part of your job. We’d all like to just spend our time coding, but you can’t just ignore the people who write your paycheck.