Why Engineers Want To Write
I hated writing in highschool. It wasn’t goal like my favourite topics, math and science. It additionally didn’t assist that we needed to write about outdated, hard-to-understand literature like Shakespeare. However my perspective on writing modified as soon as I began working full-time as a software program engineer.
The way in which I labored began to vary round after I turned a mid-level engineer. I led a small workstream of some engineers and to get my work finished, I used to be writing increasingly with out realizing it. Quickly writing turned a major a part of my work exterior of coding. This turned much more true when COVID hit since most conversations moved to async chats and phrase docs.
Nearly every part software program engineers do requires writing. We have to write after we ask technical questions, touch upon code critiques, or create design docs. It’s because writing software program is collaborative. The higher you might be at writing, the more practical you can be at constructing software program.
Except for being a necessity, writing is essentially the most environment friendly means so that you can scale your self. As a concrete instance, I’ve a buddy who takes unimaginable notes at work. His notes turn into a wiki of frequent terminal instructions, code pointers, and diagrams for the group he works on. The perfect half is that his writing helps others transfer quicker with none work on his half after sharing it.
On the finish of the day, you’ll be able to solely ship a lot code by your self. You may have way more affect by influencing others to ship what issues most. Writing is essentially the most scalable approach to affect others.
Some fear that ChatGPT might make writing out of date. Even when AI instruments write for us, I nonetheless assume writing is efficacious.
Writing your ideas down forces them right into a coherent, logical narrative. Condensing your writing offers you a deeper understanding. This course of improves your pondering.
Additionally, writing doesn’t simply make clear your present concepts; it generates extra of them. After I write design docs, I usually uncover optimizations or edge circumstances I didn’t consider at first. As long as crucial pondering is critical, writing won’t be out of date.
It’s no coincidence that the strongest engineers I do know are all wonderful technical writers. It is without doubt one of the key abilities engineers should be efficient at work. This is without doubt one of the major causes I’ve dedicated to writing as soon as per week for this Substack.
Over to you: Do you assume writing is vital for engineers? In that case, what’s helped you enhance most?
Thanks for studying,
Ryan Peterman