Live Technical Writing Lightning Talks + Food, Drinks & Networking Fun!

Hello Bay Area technical writers! ✏️

I'm thrilled to share that we're revamping the Write The Docs Bay Area meetup, and we're kicking things off with our first in-person event since February 2020! A huge thank you to our event sponsor, Mintlify, for providing the venue and generously offering food and beverages. 🎉

Let me know if you have any major allergens by emailing me at this address: purcellconsult [at] gmail [dot] com

Event Details:

• Date: March 19th
• Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM PST

Proposed Agenda:

• 7:00 – 7:15 PM: Networking and refreshments
• 7:15 – 8:15 PM: Lightning talks & community announcements
• 8:15 – 8:30 PM: Group discussions & networking

Updates on February 6th, 2025: We have two confirmed speakers for the lightening talks!

Talk title #1: My Favorite Derivatives
Description: This is a fun little etymology talk about my favorite Latin derivatives (English words that are derived from Latin). I give a tiny bit of background on Latin as a language, then move into my favorite derivatives, and what it is about their Latin roots that makes me see the English word differently.
Speaker: Lena Chervin

Talk title #2: Docs as Tests: No More Broken Docs
Description: Outdated docs break user trust, and drive users away. No one wants that. Docs as Tests treats documentation as literal assertions of product behavior to catch issues before your users do. Come learn about it!
Speaker: Manny Silva

Talk title #3: Scaling documentation at Waymo through sprints
Description: A short talk about how I used documentation sprints to scale documentation at Waymo, and how you can run a documentation sprint at your own organization.
Speaker: Jared Bhatti

Talk title #4: Should you add screenshots to documentation?
Description: Want to know whether to add screenshots to your documentation topic? I'll talk through the tradeoffs and considerations of including screenshots in documentation, especially for SaaS software products.
Speaker: Sarah Moir

Here's how you can help support Write The Docs Bay Area Community:

1. Corporate Sponsors: If your employer is interested in sponsoring the event—covering space and food—please reach out! Your company will receive increased brand visibility, and your support will help make this event happen. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at purcellconsult [at] gmail [dot] com.
2. Speakers: We're looking for 4 lightning talks (5-10 minutes each). If you’re interested in presenting, apply here.
3. Volunteers: If you'd like to help out during the event, please sign up via our volunteer form.
4. Share this event URL with colleagues, friends, and on your social networks!

Join the Bay Area Write The Docs Slack Channel: With over 200 members, it's the best way to stay connected, share ideas, and get event updates. Join here.

Learn about our sponsor, Mintlify by visiting their website here: https://mintlify.com

Looking forward to seeing you there!