2. DOCS ARE EVERYONE’S
BUSINESS
Really, they are
Alex Radu
Views are my own and do not represent those of my employer @AlexandraMMR
short for documentation or documents
4. About Me
Public Cloud Product Adoption Lead
Content Strategist
Software Engineer
Conversational Designer
Developer Advocate
Unicorn Lover @AlexandraMMR
Tech lover from
1994
5. ● Outdated product documentation not owned by any team
● Cumbersome contribution process to update docs
● No central content and UX writing evaluation point for changes
● Outdated front-end framework for platform
● Customer frustration with navigability of docs
● No marketing or communication of changes in documentation
@AlexandraMMR
How it started (2020)
7. How we wish it
were going
@AlexandraMMR
Unicorns and
rainbows
8. How it’s going (2021)
@AlexandraMMR
● Content audit for all documentation
● Template creation for common use cases
● Open source contribution model (internal)
● Tech writing and content team to review and approve changes
● Upgraded front-end framework
● Customer research and testing in all stages of design
● Customer feedback loops on documentation platform
● Inclusion of documentation in:
○ Definition of done (engineering)
○ Weekly release notes (communications)
○ OKRs and end of quarter updates from leadership (marketing)
10. OPEN SOURCE DOCS, WHY?
@AlexandraMMR
Drive product adoption and ownership
Increase transparency and centralize knowledge
Improve customer experience and amplify their voice
12. Have a team to
support it
Audit current state
Bring everyone in
and upskill
Set clear objectives
What helped us
@AlexandraMMR
13. What could help you
Audit and plan for your goals
@AlexandraMMR
Get everyone involved
and upskilled
Prioritize feedback and customer
input
Try Markdown or a Content
Management System
Create templates and
contribution guides
Automate what / if you can
14. Why open source your docs?
Accountability and transparency
@AlexandraMMR
Real time feedback and support
Customer value and engagement
Distributed accountability
Consistency and efficiency
Increased adoption and usage