Amplication’s VP of Product Shares Formula For Developer Docs That Drive Adoption

A documentation interview on attracting new users, effective collaboration, review processes, and more…

I recently talked with Paz Yanover, VP of Product at Amplication, about how developer documentation drives product adoption.

Paz has over 15 years of experience leading developer-focused products from concept to launch. He has worked at Redis, where he managed the popular open-source NoSQL database along with its commercial offering. He was also the VP of Product Management at Testim, an AI company which was acquired by Tricentis. At Testim, he created a product for automating testing processes to help teams deliver software more effectively.

Most recently, at Amplication, he spearheaded the creation and management of Jovu. Jovu is the first AI code generator that turns ideas into production-ready code in minutes.

Paz’s extensive experience with developer-focused and open-source products gives him a unique perspective. He knows how to create dev docs that helps existing users and attracts new ones.

In this interview, Paz shares his thoughts on dealing with documentation challenges. He talks about how technical writers and product teams can work together. He also shares strategies for creating documentation that helps get and keep users.

And now I bring you, Paz Yanover.

How does a company determine that documentation is a priority?

Paz: It’s mainly about demand. For a technical product where the target audience is developers or technical people, documentation is a must. Developers won’t talk to anyone to understand how the product works; they usually start trying it, and part of that is searching for documentation.

If developers encounter any questions, they won’t ask you or contact customer support. Instead, they will check your documentation. It’s like another leg of the product. If you don’t have a great documentation site with all the information that can assist developers in trying your product and identifying its value, then you have one missing leg. You must have a great product and great documentation pages for developers.

How can documentation help you attract new users, not just support existing ones? What effective methods have you found for promoting your newly released docs?

Paz: Documentation should align with the overall messaging and value proposition of our product, speaking the same language as our main website and marketing materials.

To use the docs as a tool for attracting new users, we include links to the docs throughout the website and within the product itself. This approach ensures that the information contained in the docs reaches not only our current users, who browse manually, but also people interested in the benefits that Amplication provides.

We also actively promote new documentation through our blog and email newsletter. By highlighting the key points covered in the documentation for new features, that encourages potential users to explore Amplication further.

How do you help the technical writer understand a new feature before they write documentation about it? What information do you share with them about the feature and Amplication’s goals?

Paz: When we have a new feature ready for documentation, I start by sharing the detailed specification document with the technical writer. The spec outlines the functionality and technical requirements of the feature and gives the writer a solid foundation to build upon. It also contains extensive conversations and notes between all members of the team involved in the feature’s creation. By providing the technical writer with access to these conversations and updates, they gain valuable context and insights into the decision-making process behind the feature.

In addition to the spec, I provide the technical writer with access to a sandbox environment where they can experience the feature firsthand. This hands-on exploration lets the writer get practical insights into how the feature works and how users will interact with it.

If you don’t have a great documentation site with all the information that can assist developers in trying your product and identifying its value, then you have one missing leg. — Paz Yanover, VP of Product, Amplication

What is your process for reviewing and approving documentation drafts? How do you balance technical accuracy with user-friendliness?

Paz: I start by reading through the draft to check for clarity and correctness. I pay close attention to the explanations and instructions to make sure they are easy to follow and understand. Amplication is a low-code product so this is important even for users who may not have a deep technical background.

After reviewing the draft for readability, I dive into the technical details. If needed, I consult the engineering team to improve the technical description. I cross-reference the documentation with the feature specification and the actual implementation to ensure that all the key points are covered accurately. This step is important to maintain the technical integrity of the documentation.

What were some of the key challenges that you faced in maintaining documentation before working with Abundant.dev?

Paz: I think the major problem was the technical capabilities of the technical writers. It was very hard to explain a technical feature to someone who is not a developer or already familiar with this industry.

After spending a lot of time explaining it, the results showed that people who are not technical do not fully understand the feature. I found myself explaining the feature, reviewing the article, and rewriting most of it. Many times, I felt like I could do it myself, and it would be easier and faster.

It was very hard to explain a technical feature to someone who is not a developer or already familiar with this industry. — Paz Yanover, VP of Product, Amplication

Why did you choose to go with Abundant.dev, an external agency, for technical writing instead of hiring a full-time individual?

Paz: It’s mostly about the scope of work. Some companies don’t have a full-time or even a half-time job for a technical writer, and it’s easier and probably more efficient to hire an agency to do it for them.

Another benefit is that if you have a good agency with someone technical who sees a lot of identical companies or products from the same domain, it will be easier for them, and the result will be better because they specialize in the specific domain you want to work on the documentation for.

How can the collaboration process between writers and managers be improved for creating the documentation?

Paz: Our current process works really well. We manage the entire documentation lifecycle using a GitHub project board, which has been effective for our team.

I appreciate that we handle documentation tasks just like any other technical project on GitHub. We create issues, assign priorities, and review each pull request with the ability to provide comments and feedback. This integration with GitHub makes it easy for our developers to contribute and review the documentation alongside their regular code contributions.

Thank you, Paz, for sharing with us those insightful tips on creating and managing developer docs.

To learn more about Paz, you can connect with him on LinkedIn.