Company
Date Published
Author
Emma Adler
Word count
2114
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Developers often skip documentation not out of impatience or laziness but because the documentation is frequently poorly designed, outdated, or misaligned with their working processes. Effective onboarding documentation should be treated as a dynamic, evolving resource that provides clear, actionable guidance and integrates both internal and external documents to create a cohesive learning experience for new hires. Strategies for improving documentation include providing quick-start guides, real-world examples, and maintaining documentation that evolves with the codebase. Additionally, encouraging contributions from non-engineers and utilizing intuitive navigation tools can enhance the accessibility and comprehensiveness of documentation. Ensuring that documentation is the first resource for new developers requires continuous improvement based on feedback, thereby making it a valuable tool rather than an afterthought in the onboarding process.