Open source docs that turn users into customers
CEME 1202 | Sun 09 Aug 3 p.m.–3:45 p.m.
Presented by
-
Mike Jang
https://ai-techwriter.com
Mike is a Principal Technical Writer for NGINX (part of F5) He creates clear and engaging documentation for developers and sysadmins. He's created authoritative content in Linux, security, and Identity Management. He's also a Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE v5) and an enthusiastic speaker at industry events.
This year, Mike led the release of the NGINX documentation repository as open source, using the BSD license.
He built a docs-as-code documentation practice from scratch at Cobalt.io, where he also developed a voice and tone style guide for user experiences, taught non-writers to create better UI text, and set up a paid open source documentation contribution program. At GitLab, he guided the documentation efforts for the Manage Stage and developer content. At ForgeRock, he gained seven years of experience writing about Identity Management.
Mike's mission is to share his passion for new software and to help users achieve their goals with the rigor of a technical writer.
Mike Jang
https://ai-techwriter.com
Mike is a Principal Technical Writer for NGINX (part of F5) He creates clear and engaging documentation for developers and sysadmins. He's created authoritative content in Linux, security, and Identity Management. He's also a Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE v5) and an enthusiastic speaker at industry events.
This year, Mike led the release of the NGINX documentation repository as open source, using the BSD license.
He built a docs-as-code documentation practice from scratch at Cobalt.io, where he also developed a voice and tone style guide for user experiences, taught non-writers to create better UI text, and set up a paid open source documentation contribution program. At GitLab, he guided the documentation efforts for the Manage Stage and developer content. At ForgeRock, he gained seven years of experience writing about Identity Management.
Mike's mission is to share his passion for new software and to help users achieve their goals with the rigor of a technical writer.
Abstract
In 2015, I accidentally generated a sales lead at the Open Source Convention.
I was in the speaker lounge when a fellow speaker asked me, "What do you do?"
After a brief overview, I opened my laptop and pulled up our open source docs. I walked through the Getting Started guide (which I wrote), showed how easy it was to install the product, and highlighted a few key features.
A few minutes later, she asked me to introduce her to our sales team.
I wasn't in sales. I wasn't giving a product demo. I wasn't even trying to make a sale. I was using documentation to answer a question.
That's when I realized something: for many open source projects, documentation isn't just a support resource. It's often the first product experience.
Developers rarely start with a sales call. They discover a project, visit its documentation, follow the Getting Started guide, and decide whether the software is worth their time. They start as readers. Then they become users. Some become contributors. Some become customers.
In this talk, I'll explore how open source documentation builds trust, reduces friction, and helps users succeed. Drawing on my experience with open source projects, I'll share practical techniques for creating effective Getting Started guides. I'll show you how I describe products without marketing language and how I structure documentation to help users install a product, explore key features, and achieve success.
In 2015, I accidentally generated a sales lead at the Open Source Convention.
I was in the speaker lounge when a fellow speaker asked me, "What do you do?"
After a brief overview, I opened my laptop and pulled up our open source docs. I walked through the Getting Started guide (which I wrote), showed how easy it was to install the product, and highlighted a few key features.
A few minutes later, she asked me to introduce her to our sales team.
I wasn't in sales. I wasn't giving a product demo. I wasn't even trying to make a sale. I was using documentation to answer a question.
That's when I realized something: for many open source projects, documentation isn't just a support resource. It's often the first product experience.
Developers rarely start with a sales call. They discover a project, visit its documentation, follow the Getting Started guide, and decide whether the software is worth their time. They start as readers. Then they become users. Some become contributors. Some become customers.
In this talk, I'll explore how open source documentation builds trust, reduces friction, and helps users succeed. Drawing on my experience with open source projects, I'll share practical techniques for creating effective Getting Started guides. I'll show you how I describe products without marketing language and how I structure documentation to help users install a product, explore key features, and achieve success.