Is Writing Documents as Important as Writing Code?

When you examine the interests of junior developers it typically boils down to: how to write code. This is foundation of which tools and frameworks to use, what rules to apply and so forth. That line of thinking has virtually nothing to do with product.

As the article states very well one of the most important impacts of writing is planning. If you want to do anything original or competitive you must have some idea of what you are doing before writing code. Writing addresses that concern. Eventually, with practice, the planning and vision becomes a quick thought exercise and writing is the means by which to express those thoughts to other people.

If you want to measure the impact step back and examine the end product. Are the internals well communicated? How much ramp time does a new developer require to become a productive contributor?

Think of writing as a defensive tool. It’s not going to push your software to make more money. It’s going to reduce expenses.