The Emperor Has No Docs
summary
Argues for a docs-first workflow: write quick onboarding how-tos and PR descriptions before code, convert clear prose into Scala tests to validate behavior, then implement; claims this prevents the expert paradox and surfaces unknowns early. Recommends the Fóry model (context/container/component/code), DVC types (tutorial/how-to/explanation/reference), the Google Tech Writing course, and habits like 30-minute daily doc edits, creating PRs as drafts, using GitHub suggestions and Copilot to beat blank-page syndrome. Mentions 170 slides and concrete Java examples (String.split limit, BigDecimal quirks).
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chapters (14)
- 0:00Introduction to the talk
- 5:31Talk overview and speaker intro
- 8:21Personal journey from squire to developer
- 10:26Meeting the triplets and self-improvement
- 11:29Documentation models and frameworks
- 15:41Developing habits and avoiding writer's block
- 17:48Documentation as a testing analogy
- 21:42Empathy in documentation and PR reviews
- 26:16Building habits with triggers and systems
- 32:19Saving money and time with documentation
- 37:39Conventions and discoverability in docs
- 39:01Debating the dragon of documentation
- 43:36Summary and key takeaways
- 47:11Q&A session
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