When all else fails, write the manual!

Too many open source projects operate on the assumption that, since your users have access to the source code, they can figure out what your software does and how to use it for themselves.

Whether you’re a team of one, or a company with a multi-million dollar project, documentation is vital to sustainability. It can bring in new users, help you support your existing ones, and is a classic onramp to contributing to software projects of all kinds.

And it doesn’t have to be a lot of work. Knowing which pieces are most important, and having good tools to bootstrap your documentation efforts will make a little go a very long way. Build off Nóirín’s expertise in both community and commercial docs projects, and let her show you the easy wins and the traps to avoid!