Jeff Bezos requires narrative memos at Amazon in favor of Powerpoint to align his teams. It's standard practice at Basecamp because it reduces superfluous meeting time. Beyond its professional use cases, writing is a forcing function to demonstrate deep understanding of a subject.
That's why I want to start this blog. I want to improve my writing and thus my thinking.
Since I have started working as an engineer, my writing has atrophied. I send bursts of terse slack messages or write templated technical documents. When I do have to send the occasional email it takes a disproportionately long time (as did this post).
Software engineering and writing have similar goals: to logically build something from smaller parts. However, the mental tools to do each successfully are different.
Software engineers build a project or app by zooming in and out of various abstractions, considering edge cases, or bikeshedding design patterns. They connect contrived virtual puzzle pieces in an infinitely large cyberspace.
Effective writers craft a narrative by interweaving various ideas or pieces of evidence. Writing is more linear but can appear in various different shapes. Sometimes it expands with more breadth and depth or it meanders through anecdotes. But eventually it takes the reader from beginning to end. It's about fluidly connecting abstract ideas from words, grammar, and tone.
In my opinion, the exercise of writing is more important than sharing it but I'll do my best to post here as much as I can. I'll probably write about new products or software technologies, sports, movies, work or anything else of interest.
All easier said than done, but I am excited to give this a try.