As I reflect on my personal and professional experiences, I am increasingly drawn to the importance of proper documentation. I've noticed that my mind naturally gravitates towards this crucial process. I find pleasure in creating easy-to-navigate documents, enabling anyone to find the information they need without the necessity of seeking out a human to answer their questions.
Scaling an organization is not just about expansion, but doing so seamlessly, without the need to hire more and more sales and support staff. It is here that well-structured documentation comes into play. Good documentation, in my view, is a tool that can autonomously answer questions, freeing up manpower and facilitating smooth operations.
We live in a time I like to call the 'golden age for documentation'. The term documentation now extends beyond simply being comprehensive. What I'm particularly interested in is 'ergonomic documentation'—one that doesn't require endless browsing or reading through heaps of files.
The concern of over-documenting is valid, considering the potential for information overload. However, that's where intuitive interface design comes in. If we can create an AI-driven chatbot or a search bar that understands the essence of what you're asking, then we truly have the best of both worlds. It should be a system that is comprehensive and yet so intuitive that the user feels like they're simply speaking a natural language.
There's an added layer of utility here too. If there's a question that our system can't answer, it should be capable of logging this gap in knowledge. This lack of information should be viewed as an opportunity to create additional content, feeding back into our documentation, and hence further enhancing our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts.
Indeed, we live in a time when Google is our go-to solution for just about everything. If you can't provide an answer through Google, or if your site doesn't easily provide the answer people need, you're simply putting yourself at a disadvantage—especially when you have the right answers.
For the projects I advise, especially those in the movement building practice, the answers to their customers' questions are usually at their fingertips. Proper documentation would make it abundantly clear that they are the experts in their field, which not only strengthens their credibility but also showcases the value they bring with their products or services. Ultimately, solid, intuitive, and comprehensive documentation is a win-win for everyone involved.