Visibility: Writing
This week, I'm urging software engineers to embrace writing for greater visibility and influence.
I've been putting off writing about this topic for all of February. The topic of writing feels so vast that I've found myself procrastinating. How could I possibly write about writing within the confines of only a 10-minute newsletter?
But I'm putting those fears aside, knowing I can (and will) revisit this topic in the future. After all, this is not the first time I’ve written about writing.
Let's focus on why writing matters for software engineers.
February Theme: Visibility
This month, we're diving into the topic of visibility—a key aspect of building your career and influence as a software engineer. Visibility is how much attention you attract to yourself, your work, and your contributions. It influences your career trajectory, helps you build relationships, and opens doors for new opportunities.
First, though, let me offer you something: If you've been waiting for a sign to start writing – whether it's a blog, a newsletter, or even just a personal journal – consider this your push to begin.
And if writing isn't your thing? That's perfectly fine! The principles I'm about to share apply equally well to other creative mediums, whether that's creating videos, drawing, or even interpretive dance. The important thing is finding your voice and sharing it.
Today, I want to focus on the three most compelling reasons why writing has become an essential part of my personal and professional life.
1. Writing Shows Your Work
"Show your work. In math classes growing up, you had to show your work to get full credit. Here too, you must show the rationale behind your opinions." - Staff Engineer by Will Larson
In the workplace, especially in software engineering, your written documentation might be the only tangible evidence of your contributions. Think about it: that brilliant solution you implemented last month? If it's not documented, it might as well be invisible to most of your colleagues. Writing creates a paper trail of your impact, your decision-making process, and your growth.
This documentation becomes invaluable during performance reviews and promotion discussions. Instead of trying to reconstruct your achievements from memory, you'll have a clear record of your contributions and their impact. Plus, your future self (and colleagues) will thank you when trying to understand why certain technical decisions were made months or years ago.
2. Writing Scales Your Influence
As someone working in a remote role at a large company (3000+ people), I've learned that writing is often the only way to extend your influence beyond your immediate team. For many of my colleagues, my written communications might be their only interaction with me and my ideas.
Writing becomes your voice in discussions you can't physically attend. It allows your thoughts to reach across time zones, departments, and organizational boundaries. In essence, good writing is the most efficient way to scale your impact and expertise across a large organization.
3. Writing Generates Deeper Thinking
For years, I hesitated to start writing regularly, worried I'd run out of ideas or fail to maintain consistency. What I discovered instead was the opposite: writing begets writing. It's a powerful tool for deeper thinking and learning.
When I sit down to explain a concept through writing, I'm forced to understand it more thoroughly. I have to anticipate readers' questions and address them clearly. This process inevitably leads to new insights and questions of my own, creating a cycle of learning and sharing.
My earlier fears about running dry on topics now seem almost laughable. Ask any regular writer, and they'll likely tell you the same thing – the more you write, the more ideas you generate. It's a self-reinforcing cycle that keeps getting better with time.
The Deep Dive
Today, I'm offering two resources for those wanting to explore writing further:
A short but powerful poem from Rands in Repose about writing that I find incredibly motivating (I highly recommend checking it out for an extra dose of inspiration)
"Writing for Developers" – a book I'm currently reading through that offers excellent practical advice for writing blogs specifically for software engineers. If you're in that "I need to learn everything before I start" phase, this book is a perfect place to begin. Keep an eye out for some book club posts about it if we work together!
Looking Ahead
Thank you for joining me on this exploration of visibility throughout February. It's been a joy to dive into these topics, and I've thoroughly enjoyed each newsletter.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on visibility or writing. Even better, share something you've written with me! Drop me a line at brittany@balancedengineer.com.
Next month, we're switching gears to a more technical topic: Distributed Systems. Switching back and forth between technical and non-technical topics is kind of my thing. After all, I love to stay balanced!
Here’s a silly web comic I made this week:
Have comments or questions about this newsletter? Or just want to chat? Send me an email at brittany@balancedengineer.com or reach out on Bluesky or LinkedIn.
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