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 ...
In this post, I share 8 principles I believe in:
Less is more
Start with the solution or the ask
Show the facts, with examples
Always quantify
Include links and references
Explain why it matters
Ask feedback from one person
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.
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.
Less is more
Circular logic. Q: "how do I write more efficiently?" A: "with less words"
This "tip" could be omitted entirely.
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"?
Show the facts, with examples
No text extracts provided in the article.
For example a rewritten paragraph, or comparison of some summaries.
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.
Include links and references
None provided.
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 :(
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.
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.