Technical Content Playbook

Who should read this playbook

This playbook is designed for anyone involved in the planning, creation, management, or distribution of technical content, particularly in the software industry.

Depending on your role, this playbook will help you in different ways.

Technical writers

If you're a professional technical writer, this playbook will help you:

  • Develop more effective content strategies aligned with user needs
  • Improve your content architecture and information design
  • Learn best practices for content creation and developer experience
  • Enhance your collaboration with different stakeholders within your organisation
  • Measure and demonstrate the impact of your technical content

Content marketing managers

For those focused on technical content marketing, this playbook offers:

  • Techniques for creating technical content that drives user acquisition
  • Strategies for balancing marketing goals with technical depth
  • Guidance on creating technical whitepapers and case studies
  • Tips for measuring content performance and ROI

Product managers

Product managers can use this playbook to:

  • Understand the role of technical content in product success
  • Integrate documentation into the product development cycle
  • Create content in product definition documents or product requirement documents
  • Methods for gathering user feedback through documentation

Startup founders

If you're building a technical product or developer tool, this playbook will help you:

  • Establish a strong technical content foundation
  • Create documentation that scales with your product
  • Build trust with technical audiences
  • Balance resource constraints with content needs
  • Use technical content as a competitive advantage

Open-source contributors

For those working on open-source projects, you can learn:

  • Best practices for community content
  • Techniques for encouraging content contributions
  • Methods for organising collaborative content efforts
  • Ways to make your project more approachable to new contributors

Educators and trainers

Technical educators will find value in:

  • Structuring technical learning materials effectively
  • Creating clear and engaging technical tutorials
  • Developing practical exercises and examples
  • Building assessment and feedback mechanisms
  • Adapting content for different learning styles, especially for people from non-technical backgrounds

Students

If you're looking to enter the field of technical communication, this playbook provides:

  • Foundational concepts and industry best practices
  • Practical exercises to build your skills
  • Guidance on building a technical writing portfolio
  • Tips for collaborating with technical teams
  • Resources for continuing education and professional development

How to use this playbook

While this playbook is comprehensive, you don't need to read it from start to finish. Each chapter is designed to stand alone, allowing you to focus on the areas most relevant to your current needs and challenges. Throughout the playbook, you'll find:

  • Practical examples and case studies
  • Templates and frameworks you can adapt
  • Best practices and common pitfalls to avoid
  • Exercises to help you apply concepts
  • Resources for further learning