Save a Dev, Write Documentation!
summary
Organizes documentation using the Diataxis four-quadrant model (tutorials, how‑tos, explanations, reference), advises choosing structure based on audience and context, and highlights measuring gaps—especially missing tutorials. Shows real examples (Kubernetes, MDN, Stripe) and recommends copying Stripe’s pattern of executable copy‑paste code with a maintenance plan, plus style guides, LanguageTool, versioned/archived docs, simple images/schemas, a search/meta‑index for scattered sources, and using RAG/LLMs as assistants rather than replacements.
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chapters (16)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:11Why document software
- 5:22Sarah Hmanski
- 6:47Documentation architecture
- 10:01Diataxis framework
- 13:31Understand the audience
- 17:06Good vs bad docs
- 18:50Docs as a tool
- 20:55Bug resolution loop
- 23:46Writing a doc page
- 25:11Images and code
- 30:03Tools for quality
- 33:11Doc improvements
- 36:47Good documentation
- 37:50Docs and communication
- 38:32Q&A
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