The document discusses how writers can thrive in agile software development environments. It begins by describing challenges writers face with agile practices like terminology, estimates, meetings and context switching. It then provides solutions for implementing agile successfully, including training, templates, clear definitions and hiring more writers. Daily best practices are outlined like asking questions, scheduling documentation hours and organizing documentation blitzes. Team best practices encourage volunteering, speaking up and acting as a shared service. Benefits of agile for writers include more impact, visibility, ownership and clearer communication. The key takeaways are to teach these strategies, emphasize the benefits and reduce costs by supporting writers.

1. How Writers Can Thrive in Agile
Software Development
Gavin Austin
Lead Technical Writer

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Safe Harbor

3. My story
I’m a writer who likes to talk.

4. The writers’ story
From unhappy to happy.
(Why does this matter?)

5. 66
31
80
30
78
42
52
23
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Are you
satisfied with
the rollout of
agile?
Is agile
making your
team more
effective?
Agile will
maintain or
improve the
quality of our
products.
Since the
rollout, I'm
having a good
time.
R&D
DS
Unhappy Writers

6. Happy Writers
0
24 23
62
30
14
46
00
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
The best time A good time Not much fun A terrible time
Mar-07
Mar-08

7. 2000
 A couple of developers
 Several product releases
 Releases on schedule
2005 & 2006
 Hundreds of developers
 Fewer product releases
 Release schedule changes
The salesforce.com story

8. 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Features Delivered per Team
Days between Major Releases
Before Agile

9. 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Features Delivered per Team
Days between Major Releases
After Agile

10. ADM has delivered total visibility, total transparency and
unbelievable productivity…a complete win!”
Steve Fisher
Executive Vice President, Technology
Salesforce.com
“
Acceptance

11. Originally, the methodology did not include documentation,
but many organizations have figured out how to use it…”
Alyssa Fox & Meredith Kramer
Mobile and Agile: The Floating Writer’s Survival Kit
© 2008 WinWriters, Inc.
“
Writers’ Challenges

12. (Challenges) terminology
A new language that confused writers and everyone else.

13. (Challenges) product specifications
Agile means we don’t need any specs, right?

14. (Challenges) estimates
I think, uh, it will take me, like, seven days to do that.

15. (Challenges) time tracking tools
My time tracking app is better than your time tracking app.

16. (Challenges) meetings
Do you want me to attend meetings or write documentation?

17. (Challenges) multiple teams
Why does everyone else get to be on one team?

18. (Challenges) team loyalties
Who should I write for today?

19. (Challenges) context switching
Was that user story for my other team?

20. (Challenges) time
I spend more time on Agile than I do writing.

21. (Challenges) fiction
You want me to document something that doesn’t exist?

22. (Solutions) implementation

23. (Implementation) encourage patience
We’re not perfect; we’re human.

24. (Implementation) provide training
At least one day of Agile training for everyone.

25. (Implementation) build templates
XML, GoogleDocs, whatever it takes to guide writers.

26. (Implementation) standardize tracking tools
Many teams, one tracking tool.

27. (Implementation) pad estimates
It always takes longer than you think.

28. (Implementation) provide clear definitions
Take a look at this wiki.

29. (Implementation) hire more writers
It takes a village to reduce support costs.

30. (Implementation) learn to adapt
Like it or not, focus on the benefits.

31. (Implementation) extend doc deadlines
Just a few extra days goes a long way.

32. (Solutions) daily best practices

33. (Daily BPs) ask questions
Go tell it to your Scrum team.

34. (Daily BPs) email your team
Click send to receive.

35. (Daily BPs) write fiction
Put that creative writing degree to use.

36. (Daily BPs) revise fiction
Good writing is good editing.

37. (Daily BPs) skip meetings
You’re important but not that important.

38. (Daily BPs) schedule doc office hours
If they need doc, let them come to you.

39. (Daily BPs) organize doc blitzes
It can be fun to find flaws.

40. (Daily BPs) work in reverse
It’s okay to backtrack.

41. (Daily BPs) learn what to ignore
Agile focuses on software development, not writing.

42. (Solutions) teams

43. (Team BPs) volunteer
You’re not just a writer.

44. (Team BPs) be wrong
There are no stupid questions.

45. (Team BPs) speak up
Express yourself.

46. (Team BPs) barter
If you want that documented, how about…

47. (Team BPs) self organize
You can call a meeting too.

48. (Team BPs) be a shared service
Check out my interview task on the wall.

49. (Team BPs) claim the last line of defense
You’re like a customer and QA engineer rolled into one.

50. (Benefits) there’s a lot

51. (Benefits) writers have more impact
An equal member of a team.

52. (Benefits) writers are more visible
It’s good to be seen.

53. (Benefits) learn what to expect
Oh, I’ve worked with Bob before...

54. (Benefits) retrospectives solve problems
We can all use some therapy.

55. (Benefits) self determining
Be your own boss.

56. (Benefits) personable environment
Hey, we hang out every day!

57. (Benefits) team spirit
We built this thingy.

58. (Benefits) sense of ownership
Hell, yeah, I did that!

59. (Benefits) features are less complex
This is way easier to write.

60. (Benefits) clearer communication
We talk about things a lot.

61. (Benefits) know who does what
Because we talked about it at the Scrum meeting.

62. (Benefits) fixed deadlines
You can finally take that vacation to Hawaii.

63. (Benefits) fewer surprises
No unexpected help systems or developer guides.

64. 1. Teach these strategies.
2. Emphasize the benefits.
3. Reduce costs by supporting
your writers.
Takeaways

65. Questions?
gaustin@salesforce.com