1 Why write

 

This chapter covers

  • The benefits of writing engineering blog posts
  • Excuses for not writing
  • A general book overview

Sharing technical experiences and expertise is an integral part of engineering culture. For developers interested in writing words as well as writing code, engineering blogs open up intriguing new possibilities. From startups to big tech, people write blog posts for a variety of reasons that we’ll explore more deeply in a bit:

  • Connecting with the community
  • Advancing the state of the art
  • Expanding career opportunities
  • Gaining recognition as an expert in a particular niche
  • Building interest in products and projects
  • Simply collecting and clarifying their thoughts

Although some engineers already enjoy writing about their achievements, many are still flat-out terrified by the thought of publishing. That’s fair. Most engineers never set out to become writers. And while writing code might seem distinctly different from writing words, there are actually many commonalities and your skill at coding can help you with writing.

1.1 Why write engineering blog posts

1.1.1 Leaving your comfort zone

1.1.2 Really understanding your code

1.1.3 Free peer review

1.1.4 Personal brand boost

1.1.5 Career development

1.1.6 Staying on top of the latest technologies

1.1.7 Improving your skills

1.1.8 Attracting new hires

1.1.9 Attracting users for a developer-focused product

1.1.10 Write once, share everywhere

1.1.11 Writing ≠ riches

1.2 Why write: A personal perspective

1.3 Excuses for not writing

1.3.1 Not a writer

1.3.2 Not even a native English speaker

1.3.3 No time

1.3.4 The project isn’t 100% completed

1.3.5 We don’t even have a product out yet

Summary

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