The importance of documentation
Mt first two months managing the websites at Road have been very similar to my first months at EVBox in two regards:
We need to maintain an old site while building out a new site
There is zero documentation on the setup of the old site
It’s easy to get used to having good documentation in place. Operating without it for the past months has reminded me of how critical it is.
Documenting things might seem like a waste of time but you will thank yourself later. Allow me to state my case.
Move faster
Imagine how much longer it would take to assemble an IKEA wardrobe with vs without a manual. Or worse, assembling a car engine.
Likewise, building webpages with clear guidelines allows you to operate a lot more efficiently than if you had to guess and research everything as you go.
Or when the site breaks due to server issues, good luck if you don’t know where the site is being hosted.
Yes, you have to spend some time on a regular basis to document your setup, processes, systems, and ways of working. But, the amount of efficiency you gain from this is worth it 10x over.
Better alignment
There is a reason why companies have entire sites dedicated to sharing documentation, FAQs, and support articles. Imagine if they had to answer each question one by one. It would not work.
I apply the same logic to my work. Having a clear and complete repository of knowledge, shared with everyone who needs it, not only allows you to move faster, but also creates better alignment.
If someone has a question about how something works, just point them to the relevant documentation.
If someone is unfamiliar with a certain process or tool, point them to the documentation.
And in the process of creating, refining, and updating the documentation, you will naturally have to align with different people and teams to make sure the information is correct and that everyone is on the same page. Alignment.
Peace of mind
We are constantly doing things. When it comes to websites, pages are constantly being updates, integrations added, systems tweaked etc.
There is only so much we can remember. The more you have documented, the more mental space is freed up for other things, and the more peace of mind you will have.
Documenting life
Documentation can take many forms, especially outside of work.
Some people film their lives and post vlogs. Others (like me) have a daily journal. And there are many more ways of course.
Now for a moment forget everything about efficiency and alignment. Wouldn’t it be nice to look back on what you were doing one, two, or five years ago? Both on a personal and work level.
I think so.
And you don’t have to create a vlog every week or write a journal entry every day. The key is to write down what matters to you, on a regular basis. Up to you to decide how regular depending on your schedule.
Documentation practices
To end this post, here are a few practices I follow to document my work and life.
Start every work project with a requirements doc.
Each core process / setup / way-of-working should be written down in a centralized place.
Maintain a work log of what I do. I try to update this every weekend.
Write a daily journal entry.
Share my learnings through blog posts like this.
Create a yearly photo album with my best memories.
Write a yearly focus at the start of the year and a review at the middle and end.
