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Comment by cdevroe | Hacker News Reader

I agree. Most companies, open source projects, and individual developers find this to be a Herculean challenge. I'd love to know if Stripe has any secrets to keeping their Docs updated. Though, my gut says that they likely just put in the work. Their Docs are incredibly important to their success.

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> I'd love to know if Stripe has any secrets to keeping their Docs updated.

Simple: documentation is part of the "definition of done". This goes for API docs (e.g., editing field descriptions) and integration guides/high-level docs. The feature/project isn't done if no one knows how to use it.

As an individual developer with many open-source projects, I'm pretty sure that my docs would be better if I had $2+ billion in funding ;)

The odds are deeply against your assertion- If we look at companies with $2b in funding, chances are yours would fall somewhere in the the median range, rather than at the top of the pack.

I think they meant "better than my docs are now with $0 funding" rather than "better than the median company with $2bn funding"

Maybe you'd have $2+ billion in funding if your docs were better!

It helps when you have people staffed full time for the work. Stripe views docs as a product, not an afterthought

Totally agree. There are other companies, though, that have people staffed for the work and they do not do nearly as good of a job. I shall refrain from naming names. :)

They also treat docs as a way to add detail to and flesh out well-designed products rather than as a way to disclaim and explain things they didn’t feel like or have the resources to fix.

I would describe stripe docs as 'acceptable'. Don't get me wrong, I personally have brought them tons of business and work with their API more than a human should. My only issue is that if you are working with their API, you will discover HUGE gaps if you step outside "the norms". That being said, they are a step above everyone else, which should tell you something. Also, the comment regarding open-source applies 300%.

It seems that many Stripe team members walk the HN halls, if you were to give a few examples of the "HUGE gaps" you mentioned they might fill them in.

Yes—would like to hear more about how we can fill in the gaps. (Can also email me directly at edwin@stripe.com.)

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