The hottest Documentation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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How to lead projects from start to finish as a software engineer

High Growth Engineer • 1285 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Project management Leadership Communication Documentation
  1. Successful software engineers need to know how to lead projects, not just code
  2. Key project management steps include kickoff, setup, planning, execution, launch, and close-out
  3. Communication, alignment on goals, and iterative feedback are crucial throughout the project lifecycle

Simple tricks to level up your technical design docs in 2024 👌

High Growth Engineer • 1108 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Career development Documentation Software Engineering Feedback
  1. Design docs help to reduce risk, document decisions, and align on technical choices.
  2. Make design docs concise with only essential information for decision-making to ensure they get read and progress smoothly.
  3. Get individual feedback first before group sessions to make the review process more efficient and effective.

How Nigeria Elected a Criminal as Its President: Part I

Aaron Greenspan • 369 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Corruption Elections Investigation Justice System Documentation
  1. Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, has a controversial past involving money laundering and drug trafficking in the US.
  2. Despite his controversies, Tinubu's questionable history did not prevent him from becoming the President of Nigeria.
  3. Attempts to uncover more information about Tinubu's past through FOIA requests and lawsuits faced challenges and government denial.
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The making of Ruby Changes: A boring advent

zverok on lucid code • 86 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Language Evolution Documentation
  1. The author has been writing in Ruby for almost 20 years and started the Ruby Changes project to understand language evolution.
  2. The author experimented with an 'advent-style' approach to working on the changelog for Ruby 3.3, documenting the process daily.
  3. The diary of working on the Ruby changelog involved tasks like writing the changelog, addressing bugs, improving documentation, and reflecting on the language changes.

Tales from the jar side: Uncensored Java AI, Pirate audio in text messages, LangChain4J used my video 😀, and the usual tweets and toots

Tales from the jar side • 39 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Programming Audio Documentation Reviews
  1. A Java project called the Ollama project allows you to run uncensored AI models locally, without sending data offsite.
  2. An application was created to generate pirate insults in audio files using the Twilio API and Text-to-Speech capability of OpenAI.
  3. LangChain4J, a competitor to Spring AI project, now has a website with tutorials, including a video featuring Ken Kousen.

Unpacking Okta's Tech Architecture | Monica Bajaj - VP Developer Experience & Mark T. Voelker - VP Architecture at Okta

platocommunity • 39 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Architecture Engineering Tech stack Scaling Documentation
  1. Okta believes in leveling up both the tech stack and the people stack for successful architecture.
  2. The Architecture Charter at Okta involves setting clear guardrails and handholds to empower engineers to make informed decisions.
  3. Writing things down, utilizing frameworks like RFCs and Requests for Discussion, is crucial for communication and knowledge sharing in the organization.

Advent of Ruby Changelog: Week 1

zverok on lucid code • 86 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Programming Software Diary Documentation Ruby
  1. Preparing Ruby 3.3's annotated changelog involves detailed explanations of features, testing on new versions, and fixing documentation.
  2. Efficiently tracking new features and discussions for Ruby updates is crucial for the changelog process.
  3. A day-by-day diary format for working on the changelog helps in organizing thoughts and content for weekly round-up posts.

Racket: The Lisp for the modern day

Deus In Machina • 326 implied HN points • 29 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Programming Languages IDE Documentation
  1. Racket is an advanced modern Lisp with a wide range of features and tools for developers in 2023.
  2. Racket is especially great for beginners, young programmers, and academics due to its simplicity, built-in IDE, and gradual learning curve.
  3. Racket's unique language building capabilities allow for creating domain-specific languages, documentation languages, and more, making it a versatile and powerful tool for programmers.

Ensemble Weather Forecast API

Open-Meteo • 351 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Weather API Forecasting Models Documentation
  1. Ensemble weather forecasts show a range of possibilities, helping to understand the uncertainty in predictions.
  2. Weather forecasts differ in reliability based on location and weather patterns, affecting the level of uncertainty in predictions.
  3. The Ensemble API combines various weather models, providing access to different weather variables for various purposes.

Creating a Security Posture Report for a Specific Azure Subscription

Rod’s Blog • 19 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Cybersecurity Data Analysis Documentation
  1. Creating a security posture report for a specific Azure subscription provides enhanced visibility into the security state of assets and workloads, aiding in identifying potential vulnerabilities.
  2. The report includes guidance for improvement with hardening recommendations to help efficiently enhance security posture.
  3. Azure Secure Score assists in prioritizing security recommendations for effective triage to enhance security posture and align with compliance standards.

Bernie & G.: a life in photos, before Stonewall

well, actually • 196 implied HN points • 22 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture LGBTQ+ Photography History Documentation
  1. The photo album documents a gay couple's life before Stonewall, showcasing rich moments of love and connection.
  2. Queer life in mid-20th century US was marked by oppression, but also contained joy, community, and individuality in private spaces.
  3. The album sheds light on Bernie and G.'s world, showing their private celebrations, travels, and relationships with friends and family.

Google Cloud's Core Principles of System Design [System Design sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
🕹 Technology System Design Cloud Computing Documentation Architecture
  1. A robust system design should be secure, reliable, scalable, and independent, allowing for iterative changes without disruption.
  2. Document everything to help visualize deployments, collaborate effectively, and guide future design decisions.
  3. Simplify system design, use fully managed services, decouple architecture, and strive for a stateless architecture to improve reliability and scalability.

How to do developer marketing that doesn’t suck

Developer GTM – by Calyx Consulting • 59 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
💼 Business Marketing Documentation Content Technology Audience
  1. Good developer marketing copy should be concise, use language that resonates with the target audience, and focus on addressing their pain points.
  2. Even if your company doesn't have an official marketing team, you are still doing marketing through how you present your brand and product to the world.
  3. In developer products, it's crucial to have a strong product first before attempting to out-market with weak marketing strategies.

Tip: Catch up on Microsoft Security Copilot Over a Weekend

Rod’s Blog • 39 implied HN points • 11 Oct 23
🕹 Technology IT Documentation Newsletter
  1. You can generate a PDF for the entire Security Copilot documentation. The existing Docs produce a PDF of about 95 pages.
  2. The Security Copilot Docs are constantly being updated, so remember to produce new versions of the PDF from time-to-time.
  3. You can send documents to your Kindle library on Kindle devices and app using the 'Send to Kindle' feature, with end-to-end encryption for protection.

More than 30 unique tracking events will cause you problems

timo's substack • 78 implied HN points • 12 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Data Tracking Data Quality Data Analysis Documentation
  1. Having more than 30 unique tracking events can lead to problems in data adoption and productivity.
  2. Too many unique events can lead to difficulties in analyst productivity and data exploration.
  3. Implementing a lean event approach with a focus on good event design and ownership can help prevent issues caused by high event volumes.

The Impact of a Large Number of API Features

The API Changelog • 2 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🕹 Technology APIs Integration Developer Experience Documentation
  1. API features play a crucial role in how customers interact with a product when building integrations, and having a large number of features can be a significant business decision.
  2. The number of API features impacts the structure of teams within a company, as each feature may require a dedicated team, potentially increasing operational complexity.
  3. A low number of API features can lead to easier support, clearer documentation, and a simpler Developer Experience, ultimately contributing to better business outcomes.

How Writing has helped me- even though it's failed [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 28 May 23
🚌 Education Writing Learning Communication Documentation Personal Development
  1. Creating content can provide exposure and opportunities, leading to networking and industry insights.
  2. Content creation can enhance learning by fostering a continuous search for knowledge and interactions with followers.
  3. Crafting content improves communication skills, critical thinking, and documentation, which can have a positive impact on personal and professional growth.

Is API Documentation Marketing?

The API Changelog • 3 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Development Marketing Documentation
  1. API documentation can borrow elements from marketing when done right, focusing on presenting the API to potential users.
  2. API documentation parallels some aspects of the traditional marketing framework, such as product presentation, pricing visibility, architectural choices, and technology support.
  3. Good API documentation aims to quickly and easily engage a technical audience, aligning consumer needs with business objectives to serve as a marketing tool.

Two Ways to Influence Business Growth with API Documentation

The API Changelog • 2 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology APIs Business Growth Documentation Cost reduction Customer Retention
  1. Good API documentation can significantly reduce the cost of API support by enabling consumers to troubleshoot their integration issues independently.
  2. Enhancing customer retention is crucial for business growth, and providing a positive developer experience through good documentation can lead to increased retention rates.
  3. API documentation plays a vital role in influencing both the cost of support and customer retention, ultimately driving the success of a business.

GM Shaders Guest: Bart

GM Shaders Mini Tuts • 19 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Programming Graphics Shaders Documentation
  1. Using 'shader_enable_corner_id()' in vertex shaders for 3D particles allows identification and manipulation of vertices in GameMaker.
  2. Understanding vertex buffers and formats in GameMaker is essential for drawing and manipulating shapes.
  3. By manipulating corner IDs in shaders, it is possible to transform particles and sprites in GameMaker into 3D billboards.

6 Dynamic Ways ChatGPT Revolutionizes Product Management 🚀 and 50+ Product management prompts

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 37 implied HN points • 26 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Product Management Decision-making Market research Documentation
  1. ChatGPT helps product managers streamline tasks, focus on strategy, and deliver innovative solutions.
  2. ChatGPT provides product managers with AI-generated insights to enhance decision-making.
  3. Integration of ChatGPT in product development process leads to creating innovative solutions and enhanced user experiences.

💎Crystal the language for humans💎

Deus In Machina • 36 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Programming Documentation Community Debugging
  1. Crystal programming language aims to be a 'batteries included language' with a rich standard library that mimics Ruby behavior.
  2. Crystal has good cross-platform support, with macOS and Linux well-supported and Windows improving.
  3. Crystal makes documentation and testing easy, using markdown for comments and providing a built-in testing framework.

How to learn a new codebase very quickly [Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 79 implied HN points • 07 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Coding Learning Documentation Math Programming
  1. Understanding the context is crucial when learning a new codebase, not just the technical details
  2. Start by understanding the purpose and problem the codebase solves before diving into technical details of components
  3. When stuck on a component, focus on understanding input/output and move forward for efficient learning

Получение гражданства Чехии: церемония вручения, чешские документы, смена имени

First principles trivia • 98 implied HN points • 28 Mar 22
🏝 Travel Citizenship Documentation Ceremony Residency
  1. The process of obtaining Czech citizenship involves waiting for document review, submitting additional documents if requested, and attending a citizenship ceremony.
  2. After approval, individuals can attend a citizenship ceremony where they take an oath and receive confirmation of Czech citizenship. Name changes can be made by following specific procedures.
  3. Upon obtaining Czech citizenship, individuals need to update various documents, such as residency cards, health insurance cards, and driver's licenses. They can also apply for a Czech passport for international travel.

How to Create Good Documentation in Software Engineering and Tech[Technique Tuesdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 19 Oct 22
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Data science Machine Learning Documentation Tech
  1. Good documentation in software engineering is crucial as it provides clarity to the team about goals and work done, enhancing productivity.
  2. Key pillars of good documentation include having a vision for the company and products, outlining resource/situational constraints, detailing data sources and processing, tracking projects in progress, sharing actual code, and establishing ownership.
  3. Benefits of good documentation in tech include aligning teams, clarifying vision and plans, reducing onboarding time, and promoting asynchronicity in an increasingly remote working environment.