Ryan Donovan

I've been writing SaaS documentation for several years now, and it's pretty different from writing docs for products with a distinct release cadence. Namely, there is no "release date", releases just kind of happen to you. How can you cope? Change your expectations! You can't document everything, so instead, consider: - 😵‍💫 What's weird or confusing about this functionality? - 🤨 Why does this new functionality exist? What's the use case? - 🕵️‍♀️ What's hard to discover about this functionality? For all the tips, see my post: https://lnkd.in/gn_Z3gD9

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If product team leaders were told brutally honest about late documentation: Dev Leads: “We built it perfectly. No idea why users can’t figure it out.” UX Designers: “The interface is intuitive… if you’re us.” QA Testers: “We caught every bug. except the one where users hate it.” Product Managers: “Launch is next week. Docs? Uh, someone’s on it.” Support Team: “Users keep calling. We’re making FAQs from their screams.” Engineers: “We shipped the code. Manuals are for poets.” Marketing: “We hyped the feature. Too bad no one knows how to use it.” Customer Success: “They churned. Probably didn’t read the… oh wait, there’s no guide.” Sales: “We closed the deal! (Ignoring the refund requests.)” Tech Writers (added late): “Here’s your doc. Hope it matches whatever shipped.” The Fear? Without writers from day one, you’re stuck with a chaotic post-launch mess—confused users, skyrocketing support tickets, and a reputation hit. Research says 60-85% of product returns stem from bad docs or usability woes. The Pain? Time and cash burned fixing what early integration could’ve caught. Flip it: Bring writers to the kickoff. Catch issues early. Launch smooth, users happy, costs down. Who else is sweating a late-doc disaster?" #ProductTeam #TechnicalDocumentation #TechnicalWriting

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Online help is simply a format, not a deliverable. Don’t be misled! Technical documentation deliverables such as user guides, API documentation, and quick start guides each serve unique purposes, target different audiences, and have distinct structures. I’ve put together a detailed overview to clarify these differences and their significance. Take a look to better understand the context of each deliverable and enhance user assistance. #TechnicalWriting #TechComm #UserExperience

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A little more detail on my AI in QA workshops: Please reshare to help get out the word. These are free and I want to keep doing them if there is interest. The goal is largely meant to inspire and encourage learning. They will point you in the right direction. 1. An intro to Cursor, Playwright & LLMs This hour-long session will focus on getting you comfortable with Cursor and the tips and tricks that are key for QA engineers using it. I’ll walk you through model selection, how to set context, how to use rules, and more. This is great for anyone who is fairly new to Cursor and wants to start using it. Calendly: https://lnkd.in/gJthqa7b 2. Using Cursor to build your POM This session will leverage Cursor to build out a basic page object model. I’ll show you how to do this using both the DOM and code. Additionally, we’ll cover adding test IDs to the codebase and look at strategies for handling test data. Calendly: https://lnkd.in/gp9M6Gn9 3. Directors only: How can Cursor help your team? These are ad-hoc sessions any manager, director, CTO, etc., can book. I’ve already done several and really enjoy them. They tend to be conversations about your current approach, with me demoing whether or not Cursor can be helpful. They are often fascinating discussions about QA and usually offer a nugget or two that people take away. Calendly: https://lnkd.in/guRf6Cu2 #qa #ai #cursor #learning

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None of them said “bad grammar.” I surveyed over 100 developers across teams, projects, and tech stacks. Here are the top 5 complaints: 1. No real-world examples 2. Outdated endpoints 3. Too much marketing, not enough substance 4. No versioning context 5. Auth flow is broken 6. Images are not annotated to help clarity and focus If your docs aren’t answering real dev questions, they’re just pretty brochures. As a tech writer, I believe documentation is UX. What’s something you’ve seen in docs that instantly made you trust (or hate) a product?

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"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗰 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲... Your user has no chance." Whether you're a structured authoring pro or a Docs-as-Code advocate, you 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 to understand these foundational concepts to write great documentation. Without them, you're just writing docs like everyone else. But you’re 𝗻𝗼𝘁 like everyone else. You're a 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿. For structured authoring folks, XML enforces structure; you literally 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 go wrong. But if you're working with Markdown or other markup formats under Docs-as-Code, structure is entirely up to 𝘆𝗼𝘂. And that’s where true mastery lies. You need to be 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 writing with intent, clarity, and purpose. Because tools don't make the writer. Structure does. https://lnkd.in/gQUVKgqp #contentops #technicalwriting #technicaldocumentation #contentdesign #dita  

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Have you heard of Robinhood-Type Engineer? In every engineering org, there's that one developer who moves fast, breaks things (sometimes intentionally), and thrives on autonomy. They are the Robinhood-type software engineers—the bold builder who challenges norms and pushes boundaries. But is this archetype a blessing or a burden? ✅ The Good: Speed & Scrappiness: These engineers ship fast. They prototype overnight and unblock teams with clever hacks. In high-growth environments, their velocity is gold. Bias for Action: They don’t wait for perfect specs. They dive in, build, and iterate. This mindset fuels innovation and keeps momentum alive. Ownership Mentality: Robinhood-types often treat code like their own product. They care deeply about outcomes, not just implementation. Cross-Functional Hustle: They talk to PMs, designers, and even customers. They’re not afraid to step outside the IDE. ❌ The Bad: Tech Debt Tornadoes: Speed can come at the cost of maintainability. These engineers may leave behind fragile systems that others struggle to support. Process Aversion: They often resist documentation, testing, and reviews—seeing them as blockers rather than enablers. Hero Syndrome: Their solo wins can overshadow team collaboration. They may unintentionally create silos or bottlenecks. Burnout Risk: Operating at 110% all the time isn’t sustainable. Without guardrails, they risk burning out—or burning bridges. The Takeaway: Robinhood-type engineers are invaluable in the right context—early-stage products, urgent pivots, or innovation sprints. But scaling an org requires balancing their energy with discipline, collaboration, and long-term thinking. Great teams don’t tame their Robinhoods—they channel them. 👉 Have you worked with a Robinhood-type engineer? 👉 What helped them thrive—or crash? #SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership #EngineeringCulture #StartupMindset #VelocityVsStability

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You’ve probably heard the promise of “faster testing” before. But what happens when your Playwright suite doubles in size? 🤔 Suddenly, it’s not writing the first test that’s the challenge. It’s keeping hundreds of them alive and reliable. This session with Ryo Chikazawa dives into how AI-powered agents are changing that. We’ll show you practical ways to reduce test debt, prevent brittle scripts, and boost coverage without burning out your team. You’ll also get a live look at Autify Muon, an AI agent that lets you create, fix, and explain Playwright tests using natural language. If scaling automation is on your roadmap, this is the playbook you’ve been waiting for. Join our webinar. 👇👇👇 https://lnkd.in/ewPRajMf #AITesting #TestAutomation #SoftwareTesting #QAAutomation #TestingTools #TestingAtScale #ContinuousTesting #TestingEfficiency #ModernTesting #AutomationEngineers #TestGuildWebinar #WorkWithTestGuild #Autify #Playwright #AutifyMuon #AIagent

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QA isn’t dead - but it could be if we quit this fight. I've seen a lot of people wanting to call it quits in QA lately on LinkedIn. Which tells me; the real enemy isn’t AI or automation. It’s despair. It’s the silence after rejection that convinces too many testers to give up. 🔹 Roles vanish mid-process. 🔹 Recruiters ghost after final rounds. 🔹 “Overqualified” labels block talented professionals. 🔹 Applications disappear into black holes. 🔹 The industry starts whispering: “Maybe QA is done.” I’ve sat on both sides of the table; leading QA teams through layoffs, been ghosted myself during interviews (more times than I care to remember), and watching brilliant testers walk away. The difference between those who return and those who don’t isn’t talent. It’s survival. If too many testers give up, the discipline itself loses ground. QA doesn’t die because AI replaces us. It dies if we retreat quietly. Hold the line. Stay sharp. Stay visible. Every post you write, every skill you sharpen, every connection you make keeps QA alive. Because when the market rebounds - and it will - those who endured won’t just fight again. They’ll win and I want that for all of us. Please don't give up. #QualityAssurance #SoftwareTesting #QAJobs #QALeadership #TestAutomation #SoftwareQuality #QualityEngineering #CareerGrowth #JobSearch #TechCareers #AutomationTesting #Leadership #TestingCommunity #CareerResilience 

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If you’re a technical writer applying for roles right now, this is one you’ll want to watch. I had a great chat with Michael where we talked about documentation interviews, what hiring managers look for, how to present your work, and how to stand out. Watch the recording: https://lnkd.in/dEB-hiyb #technicalwriting #documentation #jobsearch

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Just a reminder: Clean code should be clear and not complicated for the sake of style. If you or your team can't understand it easily, it's not clean, no matter how many best practices it follows.

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Metadata and taxonomy don’t make noise. They don’t shout for attention. But without them, your entire documentation system collapses into confusion. If you want your documents to work for you — not against you — invest time in getting metadata right. It’s the silent architecture of every flourishing knowledge ecosystem.

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QA Manager: "Everyone checks temperatures properly now." Me: "Show me yesterday's logs." QA: "All 4°C, perfect!" Me: "Every single reading?" QA: "Yes..." Me: "So your cooler maintains exactly 4°C for 8 hours straight?" QA: "..." Here's what's really happening: Your team learned to write 4°C. They didn't learn to measure it. When every reading is perfect, no reading is real. Real temperature logs look messy: - 3.8°C - 4.3°C - 3.9°C - 4.1°C Because real coolers fluctuate. Perfect logs mean one thing: Someone's better at fiction than food safety. Are you collecting data or collecting lies?

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Meetings are where technical writers build visibility and influence. 📅 Here's how to make every one count: 1. Sprint Planning Catch undocumented features early. Flag docs dependencies before code freeze. 2. Design Review You're the user advocate. Stop bad UX before it ships. 3. SME Interview Ask task-first questions. Share the recording with stakeholders after. 4. Doc Review Get signoff. Push back on vague feedback. 5. Postmortem Own your part. Document lessons learned in your knowledge base. 6. Stakeholder Sync Show impact with metrics. Ask for resources. 7. All-Hands Listen for product shifts. Follow up 1:1 after. Show up prepared. Speak strategically. Ship better docs. This is how senior technical writers build influence. Which meeting type needs your attention most? Drop your thoughts below. 👇 Save this for your next sprint. Share it with a TW drowning in meetings. 📰 Want weekly insights on technical writing? Subscribe to my newsletter (link in the comments). Want more career insights for writers: 1. Follow Joshua Gene Fechter 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

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