The Situation

A typical engagment begins when a start-up enterprise needs to launch a customer information program, often in relation to an early stage of financing, or needs to revise and scale a program for growth.

Activities

Typical activities include:

• Review and revision of existing documentation topics and KB articles following the guidelines in Kai’s Friendly Guide to Technical Writing

• Information architecture review and revision recommendations for existing documentation

• Migration of existing documentation to an authoring/publishing platform, as described in the next section

• Creation of information architecture for new platforms

• Creation of new documentation topics and KB articles as needed

• Implementation of editorial operations for authoring/publishing platforms as needed

Platforms

For migration of existing documentation or creation of new documentation sites, I prefer platforms that enable collaboration across an enterprise, with lightweight editing mechanisms and gated publication workflows. I have extensive experience with setting up and managing XML/DITA-based platforms like AuthorIT and Oxygen, as well as wiki platforms like TWiki, XWiki, and Confluence.

My currently preferred platform for publishing product documentation is DeveloperHub, which provides mechanisms for docs-as-code authoring and publishing, with a wiki-like front-end for easy editing. It also includes role-based permissions for publishing, and integrates with Slack, GitHub, and Intercom for editorial operations and content management.

I have experience with setting up and managing support knowledge bases in both ZenDesk and Intercom. Intercom is my preferred platform, for many of the same reasons as DeveloperHub. I also have some recent experience with optimizing content for Intercom’s Fin AI and have been impressed by its performance in responding to customer support questions.

For management of technical communications and documentation projects, my preferred platform is Jira. I have extensive experience with setting up dedicated boards, projects, and filters that are accessible and usable across an enterprise, as well as integrating JIRA and Confluence for project management systems.

Proposals

All engagements begin with a proposal that includes detailed information about timelines, deliverables, and price estimates. If you have a project in mind, please reach out to schedule a conversation about your requirements, and I will be happy to create a detailed proposal for your consideration.

Engagements

Accelops
SEIM, later acquired by Fortinet
Santa Clara CA
Review and revision of first-generation product documentation on Confluence

Applied Materials
Semi-conductor manufacturing
Santa Clara CA
Migration of first-generation MSWord documentation to an XML/DITA system

C3 Energy
AI-enabled energy management software
San Mateo CA
Creation of original product documentation using XML/DITA

CNET Networks/CBS Interactive
Online media
San Francisco CA
Management of internal enterprise wiki on TWiki

Dell
Cloud business services
Santa Clara CA
Creation of original documentation using XML/DITA

Delphix
Database management
San Francisco CA
Migration, revision, and ongoing maintenance of first-generation product documentation from MSWord to Confluence

Force 10 Networks
Networking, acquired by Dell
Santa Clara CA
Evaluation and recommendations for integrating multiple versions of product guides into a consolidated guide based on XML/DITA

Google Cloud Support
Support for Google Cloud products
San Francisco CA
Migration of internal support KB from Google Sites to internal content management system

Metaweb Technologies
Semantic database technology, acquired by Google
San Francisco CA
Original product documentation on Metaweb’s proprietary data structure

Mezmo/LogDNA
Log data processing and analysis
San Francisco CA

• Migration of original documentation from ReadMe to DeveloperHub with a DITA-based architecture, ongoing management for new features and products

• Creation of architecture guides, tutorials, and demos for Telemetry Pipeline product

• Technical product marketing collateral for Telemetry Pipelines product

Sauce Labs
Automated web and mobile app testing service with Selenium and Appium
San Francisco CA

• Migration of original documentation from docs-as-code system to Confluence with a DITA-based architecture, ongoing management for new features and products

• Creation of instructor-led workshops for Selenium and Appium testing for SauceCon 2016, 2017, and 2028

• Creation of online training and tutorials for Selenium testing