Technical Writing in Agile

Larry Kunz

February 11, 2014 #agile #techcomm

New ApproachesNew Opportunities

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile Is…

“Just in Time” development•Flexibility•Responsiveness•Short product cycles (sprints)•Frequent updates

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile Is…

Agile assumptions: • Customers want updates fast• Bugs can be fixed next time

57 percent of software technical writers work in agile

(WritersUA Tools & Skills survey, 2014)

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile Isn’t…• A new set of tools• A new programming language• A new name for what you’ve

been doing all along

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

The Agile Manifesto

•Individuals & interactionsover processes & tools

•Working softwareover comprehensive documentation

•Customer collaborationover contract negotiation

•Responding to changeover following a plan

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile Terminology• User story• Sprint• Scrum• Backlog• Stand-up meeting

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Good, Not Perfect

• Quality is defined by what meetsthe customer’s expectations

• Forget about “good writing”(whatever that was)

Can the customers use your User Guide?

Then…Good.

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

The Big Shift

Old: Do I have time for this?New: What’s most important?

“Focus is the invisible guide”- Jason Polites

http://polites.com/2013/04/09/the-big-shift/

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile and the Technical Writer

• Technical reviews:Ad hoc, limited in scope

• Pre-existing content:Easy to overlook

• Editing: Piecemeal • Translation: Harder to schedule

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile and the Technical Writer

Real-world survival tips:• Don’t throw out everything

you used to know• Be flexible

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile and the Technical Writer

To be an effective team member:• Speak up• Get involved in all areas of

development• Take ownership of technical accuracy• Serve on a core team

http://techwhirl.com/agile-tech-comm-four-must-dos-key-agile-team-member/Alyssa Fox – Jan 7, 2014

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile and the Project Manager

• Old (waterfall): Knowing thebig picture in advance

• New (agile): Admitting youdon’t know the big picture

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Agile and the Project Manager

So…• Don’t strain at gnats• Instead, provide principles

(and then apply them)

Agile and Scrum accept the ultimate truth that no system can be controlled or predicted as long as

human beings are involved.- Stephen Gracey

http://contentstrategynoob.com/scrummy-content-in-an-agile-world/

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Opportunities

• The technical writer has moreof a voiceSpeak up!

• The technical writer takes thelead in creating user storiesYou’re the expert at audience analysis

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Opportunities

• Everyone contributes contentPart of your role becomes that ofcurator

• Documentation-only sprintsThe whole team focuses on the doc

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Opportunities

• Moving to topic-based writingFits the “a little at a time” approach

• Tech writer as independent contractorAct like a businesswoman or businessman

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

The Agile World• More variety• Closer to the customers• Greater voice• More responsibility

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Resources (1)• Wikipedia:

Agile principleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development

Scrum (methodology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrum_(software_development)

• Alyssa Fox's Techwhirl articleshttp://techwhirl.com (search on “agile”)

• Jason Polites:The Big Shifthttp://polites.com/2013/04/09/the-big-shift/

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Resources (2)• Larry Kunz:

Documentation in a CollaborativeWorld: What We've Learnedhttp://www.writersua.com/articles/collab/index.html

Good, not Perfecthttp://larrykunz.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/good-not-perfect/

• Stephen Gracey:Scrummy Content in an Agile Worldhttp://contentstrategynoob.com/scrummy-content-in-an-agile-world/

• LinkedIn group: Agile Tech Writershttp://www.linkedin.com/groups/Agile-Technical-Writers-1115987

Feb 11, 2014@larry_kunz

Stay in Touch!

Larry KunzTwitter: @larry_kunz

larrykunz.wordpress.comhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/ldkunz