The hottest Documentation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

2023 Bank Term Funding Program Tutorial: A Step-by-Step Guide for CFOs and Bank Owners

The Tweetsift Report • 0 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
💰 Finance Documentation
  1. The Bank Term Funding Program offers loans up to one year with specific eligible collaterals like U.S. Treasuries.
  2. To participate, banks must follow a step-by-step process including confirming eligibility and submitting required documentation.
  3. Operating Circular No. 10 outlines essential documentation needed, like legal documents and financial statements, for participation in Federal Reserve Programs.

Step 4: Community Organizing

Crypto Good • 0 implied HN points • 06 May 23
🔮 Crypto Documentation
  1. Using essential tools like a space for community and writing platforms is crucial for starting an Impact DAO.
  2. Documenting everything, including values, mission, and wins, is important for organizational knowledge and growth.
  3. Understanding the best ops structure like workstreams or pods is key in managing a DAO effectively.

Driving changes: how to deal with pushbacks

Teamwork in Tech • 0 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Pushbacks on initiatives can happen due to various reasons like disbelief in promised goals, dissatisfaction with implemented solutions, or disagreement on the importance of the problem.
  2. To prevent pushback, ensure clear communication, involve stakeholders in defining and solving problems, and provide supporting evidence and documentation.
  3. When facing pushback, focus on understanding the perspectives of those involved, address concerns proactively, and work collaboratively to find solutions that benefit everyone.
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Minimal Modeling: processes and deliverables

Minimal Modeling • 0 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Creating a logical model from textual descriptions helps database novices and streamlines schema design.
  2. Designing physical table schemas based on the logical model involves making choices and adapting to business changes.
  3. Extracting a logical model from a real-world database using minimal modeling can improve onboarding and communication in a lightweight, collaborative way.

Fine-tuning for GPT-3.5

ML Under the Hood • 0 implied HN points • 23 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. This fine-tuning makes the model specialized for specific tasks, not to learn new things easily.
  2. Training costs for the fine-tuned GPT-3.5 are relatively low at $0.008 per 1K tokens.
  3. Using the fine-tuned model is 8x more expensive than the base GPT-3.5-Turbo.

API First? No, thank you! Schema-first, please!

Reflective Software Engineering • 0 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Start with defining the API schema instead of API-first approach as it allows for early feedback, unblocks consumer development, and enables incremental progress.
  2. An API schema specifies all endpoints, interactions, and responses, and can be visualized in tools like Swagger, aiding in documentation and code generation.
  3. Working schema-first has benefits like enabling real-time collaboration, source-controlled contract, and code generation capabilities based on the formal specification.

🧟‍♀️ Newsletter WoR #52: we get some Halloween scare, something new with Angular (you heard that right), if size is important...

Women On Rails Newsletter - International Version • 0 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Angular introduces a new full-stack framework called Analog.js, incorporating Vite, Nx, and Nitro for features like routing per file, SSR, and SSG.
  2. The newsletter discusses making Sorbet compatible with Ruby 3.2 for developers to leverage new features like the Data class and anonymous arguments.
  3. Understanding the concept of headless CMS is highlighted, showcasing how it enhances modularity for content creators by reducing dependency on the development team.

🎠 Newsletter #29: a preview for ruby 2.3.0, build your network in tech, some hardware with the NES...

Women On Rails Newsletter - International Version • 0 implied HN points • 12 Apr 22
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. The newsletter covers updates on Ruby and Rails, career advice for Ruby developers, and optimization of ActiveRecords queries.
  2. Tips shared include using the #squeeze method in Ruby, the importance of building and maintaining a strong network in tech, and developing a personal brand.
  3. Some interesting topics discussed are the challenges with carousel designs, self-documenting code with AI, and a dive into the success of the NES in the hardware world.

🏞 Newsletter #27: take the power, scale without drowning, automate your documentation...

Women On Rails Newsletter - International Version • 0 implied HN points • 15 Mar 22
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. The importance of changing the traditional definition of power to allow women of color to access leadership roles
  2. Tips and experiences shared on scaling a company during rapid growth periods
  3. Solutions to automate documentation to ensure good and thorough documentation in software development

Automate Production in Three Steps!

Certo Modo • 0 implied HN points • 07 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Automating manual tasks is crucial for growth, as manual work can consume time needed for innovation and advancement.
  2. Runbooks, as documented step-by-step instructions, are key to delegating work, reducing single points of failure, and ensuring consistency in task execution.
  3. Converting manual scripts into full-fledged software services allows for instant and automated task completion, improving efficiency and reducing human involvement.

Running Successful Engagements

Certo Modo • 0 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Identify and maintain a relationship with the team's point of contact to ensure clear communication and accountability.
  2. Prior to starting an engagement, conduct initial discovery to understand the team's operational needs and potential risks.
  3. Create a clear engagement document outlining goals, expectations, and metrics for success, ensuring alignment with the team's objectives.

#4: Read ALL The Documentation

Become a Senior Engineer • 0 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Technical documentation is vital for learning and improving coding skills.
  2. Seniors focus on relevant sections like release notes, best practices, and architectural concepts.
  3. Reading documentation is a key part of being a senior engineer, helping with problem-solving, learning, and supporting team members.

RDEL #18: Can better documentation come at a cost for some teammates?

Research-Driven Engineering Leadership • 0 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Improved documentation quality lifts every technical capability measured in teams.
  2. Better documentation decreases burnout and increases job satisfaction and productivity, but can lead to increased burnout for underrepresented teammates.
  3. Recognizing the importance of documentation's impact and managing distribution of 'glue work' can help improve team performance and well-being.

Software Projects: Sink or Swim

Bismuth • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Establishing and maintaining consistent patterns in a software project is crucial for long-term maintainability and success.
  2. Thorough testing, especially of core business logic and high-risk features, is essential to prevent bugs and ensure code maintainability over time.
  3. High-quality documentation is vital for attracting users, helping new contributors, and ensuring the long-term success and growth of a software project.

Documentation is Hard

Tribal Knowledge • 0 implied HN points • 29 Oct 22
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Documentation often gets neglected in fast-paced environments like startups due to time constraints and prioritization of immediate tasks.
  2. In software development, trade-offs are inevitable, and sometimes opting for 'good enough for now' is a valid choice to balance business needs with engineering solutions.
  3. Documentation should focus on improving code readability, saving time for both current and future developers, and should be informative yet concise to serve its purpose effectively.

My Knowledge Is Your Knowledge

Tribal Knowledge • 0 implied HN points • 21 Mar 22
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Tribal knowledge refers to information known within a group but not outside of it, commonly seen in fast-moving teams like startups where documentation might be lacking.
  2. Onboarding new team members to a system built on tribal knowledge can be challenging and time-consuming, taking up to 6 months for full understanding.
  3. Building a community to share collective knowledge can help individuals survive and thrive in various fields by leveraging unique experiences and backgrounds.

Good Engineer, Good Writer

Tech Ramblings • 0 implied HN points • 04 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Good communication is key in software development. When you clearly explain your ideas, it makes teamwork smoother and reduces confusion.
  2. Writing concise documents helps you focus on the main problem and solution. Keeping things short and to the point makes everyone understand better.
  3. Using visuals can make complex ideas easier to explain. Sometimes a picture can communicate things more effectively than just words.

The Comprehensive Guide to Architectural Decision Records

Curious Devs Corner • 0 implied HN points • 11 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) help document important decisions in software architecture, including why certain choices were made. They're like notes that anyone on the team can review later.
  2. Using ADRs boosts team trust by providing clear reasons behind technology choices, reducing confusion, and helping new members understand past decisions. They show what has been discussed and why certain technologies were selected or rejected.
  3. ADRs promote transparency by allowing anyone interested to see the decision-making process. This helps different teams learn from each other and fosters better communication.

When Looking Back at Legacy Code, All You Really Want to Think Is: "This Is Reasonable"

Andrew’s Substack • 0 implied HN points • 16 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Legacy code should be clear and understandable. The goal is for developers to look back at it and think, 'This makes sense.'
  2. Good legacy code is simple, consistent, and has clear documentation. This helps new developers quickly understand it without getting lost.
  3. Investing time to write clear, well-documented code saves headaches later. It makes maintenance easier and helps new team members get up to speed faster.

Create a simple data catalog with Sort, Postgres, and Markdown

Database Engineering by Sort • 0 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Using Sort, Postgres, and Markdown together makes it easy to create a simple data catalog. This setup helps you organize and describe your data clearly.
  2. Markdown is great for writing human-readable documentation that explains your database tables, their columns, and how to use them. It helps everyone understand the data better, even without deep SQL knowledge.
  3. With this method, team members can quickly run queries and find the data they need. It's a flexible way to collaborate without complicated setups or high costs.

Selectively Serving Your API Reference

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. You can create an API reference that adapts to different users, offering both a human-friendly and machine-readable version. It's important to meet the needs of both audiences.
  2. Using an OpenAPI document makes it easy to generate a comprehensive API reference without much effort. It's like having a complete guide available for your API.
  3. Content negotiation allows you to serve the right version of your API reference based on the request type. This way, humans get a readable document, while machines receive the necessary JSON data.

Reading CSV files in UE5 C++

Load-bearing Tomato • 0 implied HN points • 23 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. Using CSV files in UE5 can be tricky because the official documentation might not work as expected. It's important to double-check the methods for loading and parsing your data.
  2. To correctly read CSV files in UE5, use the 'LoadFileToString' method and then the 'CsvParser' module. This approach is confirmed to work, especially in version 5.3 and later.
  3. When writing CSV files, make sure to format your data properly with headers and ensure your output saves correctly. This process can save you frustration when managing your game data.

Machine-Oriented Use-Case Documentation

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 22 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. It's important for API documentation to be clear and follow established standards so that machines can easily understand how to use them. When the documentation is done right, it helps machines know what to do with the data.
  2. Documenting how different API operations fit together is crucial for allowing users to create their own workflows. This means explaining how to connect operations and what each step does.
  3. Choosing the right names for input and output variables in APIs is key to avoiding confusion for machines. If names or data types don't match up, it can lead to errors or unexpected results in workflows.

Generating an API README with AI

The API Changelog • 0 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Documentation
  1. A clear, high-quality README is essential because a bad one can damage your API's reputation; it's better to have no README than a poor one.
  2. AI can generate good overview and getting-started sections from a complete machine-readable API spec like OpenAPI, but the spec must include onboarding details (auth, credentials) and starter operations should be tagged.
  3. Tag important operations by use case so AI can find and document them, and always review and manually approve any AI-generated README updates rather than fully automating the process.