Shownotes
WTFM is out today! 📚
Today’s episode of Behind the Docs is a special one because it lands on the official release day of CT Smith’s first book, WTFM: A Practical Guide for Standing Up Docs at a Startup.
In this episode of Behind the Docs, Ren Taylor talks with technical writer and documentation leader CT Smith about her path into technical writing, the thinking behind her new book, and what it really takes to build documentation that works.
CT wrote WFTM for people who find themselves responsible for documentation before they’re ready—or able—to hire a dedicated technical writer. The book focuses on making smart decisions early so teams can avoid creating documentation problems that become harder to solve as the company grows.
The conversation covers CT’s path into tech writing, the value her philosophy background brings to her work, and why she believes documentation should be treated as a specialized craft. Ren and CT also discuss working effectively with marketing, using AI in documentation workflows, and where humans still need to stay firmly in the loop.
In this episode
- How CT went from studying philosophy and working at Waffle House to becoming a technical writer
- How to build relevant experience when you don’t have a traditional technical writing background
- Why CT wrote WTFM and who she wrote it for
- The importance of setting up documentation well before a company needs a dedicated docs team
- Why documentation and marketing teams should work together, and where their goals differ
- How CT uses AI to automate parts of her documentation workflow
- Why AI should support, rather than replace, human judgment and empathy
- The characteristics CT looks for in genuinely good documentation
- How to make the business case for technical writing
- Why CT believes technical writers are important, and why the profession may be headed for a renaissance
About the book
WTFM is available September 1 in EPUB, paperback, and online. CT has also created an interactive calculator and additional resources to accompany the book, which you can find on her website!
Guest: CT Smith
CT's website: https://docsgoblin.com/
The Global English Style Guide: https://books.google.vu/books?id=r0AiqqRBPF0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Host: Ren Taylor
