Why Engineers Should Embrace the Art of Writing

I despised writing during my high school years. It lacked the objectivity I enjoyed in my favorite subjects, namely math and science. Additionally, the task became more challenging as we were required to write about complex, antiquated literature such as Shakespeare and Animal Farm. However, my outlook on writing transformed when I entered the workforce as a full-time DevOps/Software Engineer.

The task at hand involves writing

The way I worked started to change around when I became an Engineering Manager(CTO) and a Scrum Master. I led a small workstream of a few engineers and to get my work done, I was writing more and more without realizing it. Soon writing became a significant part of my work outside of coding.

Almost everything software engineers do requires writing. We need to write when we ask technical questions, comment on code reviews, or create design docs. This is because writing software is collaborative. The better you are at writing, the better you'll be at building software.

Growing Yourself

Writing is not just something you have to do; it's the best way to make your efforts go further. For example, I know someone who takes really good notes at work. His notes have become a kind of guide for his team, with useful commands, code tips, and diagrams. The great thing is that his writing helps his teammates work faster, and he doesn't have to do anything extra.

In the long run, you can only create so much code on your own. But if you can get others on board with what's important, you can make a bigger impact. Writing is the best way to get your ideas across to others and make a difference.

What About ChatGPT?

Some people are concerned that ChatGPT might replace the need for writing. Even if AI tools do the writing, I believe writing is still important.

When you write down your thoughts, it helps you organize them into a clear and logical story. Summarizing your writing makes you understand things better, and this process enhances your thinking.

Moreover, writing not only makes your existing ideas clearer but also brings up new ones. When I write design documents, I often find better ways or tricky situations I didn't consider initially. As long as thinking critically is important, writing will remain valuable.

It's not a chance that the best engineers I know are good at writing about technical stuff. Being good at writing is a crucial skill for engineers to do well at work. That's why I've decided to write something every week for this newsletter.

Now, what do you think? Do you believe writing is important for engineers? If yes, what has helped you get better at it?

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