Why I Document

I'm sure you've experienced situations where a well-written document saved you. Maybe it was a guide written by a previous developer or even something you wrote for yourself and forgot about. Regardless, in those moments, documentation proved to be invaluable.

At first glance, documentation might seem like an unnecessary chore--especially when you're eager to jump straight into coding. However, over time, I've realized that it plays a crucial role not just in software development but also in operating a company effectively.

In this post, I'll share why I document and what kinds of documents I document.

1. The Moments When I Needed Documents
2. How I Started Documenting
3. Documents Required to Deliver a Product to Users

Let's dive in!

1. The Moments When I Needed Documents

Here's a simple truth, "Memory is unreliable.".

When working on a project, you constantly learn new things, make decisions, and solve problems. However, as time passes, details fade, and you find yourself asking:

"Oh, I've done this before. How did I solve this problem? I can't remember." "How did I set up this environment? I can't remember." "What was the reason for this decision? I can't remember." "Did I implement this feature? I can't remember."

There are countless moments when you need to recall past experiences, decisions, or solutions. In those moments, well-organized documentation can save you time and effort.

"Oh, I wrote a document about this. Let me check it." "The previous developer left a guide for this. Let's check it out." "We made this decision based on this document. Let me check it."

Documentation becomes a valuable asset, providing clarity and guidance when you need it most.

2. How I Started Documenting

The company I work for has a strict documentation policy.

"We don't start a project without documents." "We don't release without documents."

In this environment, documentation is mandatory at every stage--from project requirements to development design, implementation, and release notes. Without proper documentation, a project is considered incomplete.

At first, I struggled with writing documentation. It was challenging to articulate key aspects such as the main logic, minimum requirements, and architecture. However, as I kept documenting, I noticed significant benefits:

• It helped me understand the project better
• It improved communication with my team members.
• It aligned everyone on project goals, reducing misunderstandings.

Documentation ensures that all team members are on the same page, making project outcomes more predictable and increasing the likelihood of success.

3. Documents Required to Deliver a Product to Users

Here are the essential documents I've encountedred while working on product delivery:

1. Product & Planning Documents

• User Stories: Define user needs, features, and requirements from the user's perspective.
• Roadmaps: Outline long-term goals, milestones, and timelines.
• Process Maps: Visualize workflows to guide how a team works

2. Development Documents

• Checklists: Ensure consistency in deployment, testing, and reviews.
• Coding Standards: Establish best practices for code quality.
• Development Design Documents: Define technical foundations, including tech stack, system architecture, data modeling, API specifications, and edge cases.
• Architecture Diagrams: Illustrate system components, interactions, and dependencies.
• Data Models: Define data structures and relationships.

3. Technical & Release Documents

• API Documentation: Provide endpoint details, request/response formats, and error codes.
• Release Notes: Summarize changes in each release, including new features, bug fixes, and known issues.

4. Team & User-Facing Documents

• Meeting Minutes: Capture key decisions, action items, and discussions.
• Onboarding Guides: Help new team members integrate into the project and new customers get started with the product.

As you can see, documentation isn't limited to the development process-it covers product strategy, user experience, and project management. Each document plays a crucial role in aligning teams, improving quality and ensuring a smooth product launch.

Conclusion

In this post, I shared:

• why documentation is essential in software development.
• How I started documenting and the benefits I discovered.
• The key documents needed to deliver a successful product.

I've come to see documentation as a fundamental process for ensuring team collaboration, product success, and long-term efficiency. I hope this post helps you see the value of documentation in your own projects.

Thank you for reading!