Writing is a Technology

Writing is a Technology

by Jack Butcher

It's no secret that writing is how we store our lessons and experiences as people.

We have access to thousands of years of lived experience via the explosion of documented knowledge, thanks to the printing press, and now the internet.

But most of us don't consider ourselves writers or authors, even though we communicate every day.

Why not?

My hypothesis: it's hard to be objective about your experience.

Is it interesting?
Is it valuable?
Who decides?

The paradox here, no one can decide it's valuable until you do. (because it will remain unwritten)

I don't just believe this in theory, I now live off of the income I earn from documenting lessons and experiences of my 10 year career in design. 

I urge you to start documenting what you know, because there is no downside.

Worst case scenario, you become a better writer — best case, you produce something that creates an impact well beyond you.
 

 

Find Your Place
Find Your Place
Leverage is as much about where you are standing as how much force you are applying.
Planting Seeds by Visualize Value
Planting Seeds

If you are building something, it is far more useful to focus on the work you are doing to produce the result than the result itself.

The DICE Framework by Visualize Value
Constraining your Curiosity

The constraint we apply to package our idea determines their reach & resonance. "Make 1 decision to eliminate 1,000 decisions."

Labor vs. Vision
Labor vs. Vision
Labor is generally a more interchangeable resource than vision.
Inspiration
Inspiration

To help understand this idea, consider the contrast between the two concepts ancient Greeks used to think about time.

Up Only
Up Only

It should be relatively simple to identify when we aren't accumulating net new experience, but in practice, it doesn't seem to be.

Descriptions
Descriptions

Language is an incredible tool. It makes it possible for us to externalize what we think and communicate it to others.