WTF does standup have to do with technical content?

You think developers are a tough audience?

Try being a comedian bombing in a nightclub.

Maybe that’s why the comedy I watch is usually Netflix or HBO specials. The comics have polished their bits to the very best stuff.

Though I haven’t been a follower of Marc Maron and his WTF podcast, I did watch his HBO special. Some 27 minutes into the set, Maron talks about John, his mother’s 85-year-old boyfriend.

John tells “stories,” but they go nowhere.

Maron shares an example:

When I was younger, we used to go to the delicatessen, maybe have a sandwich, some coffee, talk a little bit. It was a different time.

And another:

When I was younger, we used to go out on a Saturday night with the ladies to a show. I always shined my shoes, always. It was a different time.

It seems the only way you know John’s story is finished is when it reaches its natural “it was a different time” conclusion.

You can tell the lack of story genuinely bugs Maron.

What is a comedian if not a storyteller? And yet, here are stories devoid of anything you’d expect of a story: details, plot, and a satisfactory conclusion.

If you’re guessing I see something similar in technical content…

Well, you’re pretty good at tracking stories yourself.

In Technical Content Strategy Decoded, I write about “the curse of the generic.” It’s an extremely common fate for technical content, which sometimes comes off as a list of facts.

When I was younger, we used to npm install dependencies, then run node start. It was a different time.

There are moments when a technical user just needs a reference.

But you’ll get much more engagement if you can go deeper. Find and share the story.

By the way…

That’s what we teach in the Technical Content Accelerator.

You’ll have a chance to learn alongside others and get feedback from the EveryDeveloper team. Build out your technical content strategy with support and accountability.

​Apply to join the Accelerator and create more engaging technical content.