Re: FWD: Help! New Job, No Docs, Big Company

[Richard Mateosian <xrm -at- EMAIL -dot- MSN -dot- COM>]

>If all of our developers were on a plane and it crashed,
>so would the business

This is your handle on the problem. Use it to get the CEO to buy
into the following scheme.

Set up a series of regular meetings (for example, three hours every
Tuesday afternoon) to transfer the technology from the developers to
a wider audience, including you. Bring a tape recorder and a
Polaroid camera. You could try video, but I think that you'll find
that hard to do without an AV assistant if there is a free-ranging
roundtable discussion.

At first you'll probably only spend a day or so processing this
material after each session, so you'll have plenty of time to
conduct your other documentation planning. During this period, read
every business plan or white paper you can get your hands on. Talk
with customers/users. Spend time using the software.

Invest in the long term. Don't fall into the trap of trying to
produce documentation before you're ready to do it right. Write
things down as you come to understand them, but don't waste a lot of
time trying to edit developer notes and program listings into user
documentation.

Make friends with the developers, but get another communicator on
board ASAP. You need allies.  ...RM

Richard Mateosian <srm -at- cyberpass -dot- net>    www.cyberpass.net/~srm/
Review Editor, IEEE Micro                Berkeley, CA

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