I find this much better than PG's previous essay, "write simply"[1], even if I don't agree with all of it (e.g. see jasode's comment[2]). Meanwhile, at work I'

I find this much better than PG's previous essay, "write simply"[1], even if I don't agree with all of it (e.g. see jasode's comment[2]). Meanwhile, at work I've been trying to encourage the habit of writing a 2-4 page "memo" when conveying critical decisions. It's proving difficult to root out the impulsive habit of "let's put together a shoddy slide deck with broken thoughts, and hurry through it on a call". When we're all remote, whether you like it or not, people will judge you by your words. And when you're not writing code, most of what you do is writing: design documents, proposals for budget, Git commit messages, feature requests, usage guides, investigative reports, synthesizing complex discussion threads into useful summaries, technical presentations, email, and synchronous chat. Not least of all, robust writing skills allow you to "defend" your arguments with nuance and concede with grace. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26427773 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26427773 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30314144 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30314144