Why do you need Technical Writers?
Common Misconceptions About Technical Writers—and the Truth
💬 “ChatGPT can write documentation or LLMs can generate content for me. We don’t need you.”
Answer:
AI can assist with drafting content, but it lacks product knowledge and cannot ensure accuracy.
AI-generated content does not adhere to style guides, which are essential for maintaining a consistent brand and voice.
While prompt engineering can improve output to an extent, a human-in-the-loop is necessary to ensure:
- Clarity
- Accuracy
- Usability
💬 “So you are a content writer? Our marketing team can also do that.”
Answer:
Marketing and technical content serve entirely different purposes.
- Marketers use persuasive language to attract and convert users.
- Technical writers provide factual, structured, and user-centric documentation.
We don’t create content on the fly—we follow the 7 Cs of effective communication to ensure:
- Clarity
- Conciseness
- Consistency
- Correctness
- Coherence
- Completeness
- Courtesy
💬 “Our developers can do a better job because they are technically sound.”
Answer:
A developer’s job is to build the product, not document it.
A technical writer ensures the end user understands and uses the product effectively.
To illustrate this:
In the show India’s Got Latent, a participant was asked to explain software engineering to a 5-year-old.
Every time he used terms like API, server, or database, the host became frustrated.
The participant finally admitted he only knew how to code.This highlights the need for technical writers—professionals who simplify complex concepts for any audience.
💬 “Your job is just to write, right?”
Answer:
Writing is only 10% of a technical writer’s job.
The other 90% includes:
- Research
- Structuring content
- Collaborating with SMEs
- Maintaining consistency
- Enhancing user experience
- Reducing support overhead
We don’t just write—we create guides, references, and walkthroughs that solve problems.
💬 “Why do we need full-time technical writers? Can’t we just update documentation when needed?”
Answer:
Let’s reverse the question:
Why do you need full-time developers? Can’t they just update the code when necessary?
Documentation should evolve alongside the product.
If you update documentation only occasionally:
- It becomes outdated
- Users get confused
- Support tickets increase
- User adoption decreases
Good documentation requires continuous maintenance, just like software.
✅ Proving Your Value as a Technical Writer
I follow what my former manager Ajay Tripathi used to do when under pressure from leadership:
Respond with data.
When you prove value with data, you don’t need to explain further.
Here’s how you can demonstrate value:
✅ Integrate documentation with Google Analytics
→ Track page views, time spent, and bounce rates.✅ Measure support ticket deflection
→ Show how documentation reduced the need for customer support.✅ Showcase great documentation as inspiration
→ Stripe, Paystack, and PayPal treat documentation as a product.✅ Share before and after examples
→ Unstructured vs. structured documentation
→ Confusing vs. easy-to-use guides✅ Collaborate cross-functionally
→ Work with Developers, QA, and PMs to integrate docs into the dev workflow.
Documentation isn’t just an add-on. It’s a part of the product experience.