The Most Underrated Advantage in Tech: Writing Well

If I could give one skill to every product manager, engineer, designer, or operator in tech, it would be the ability to write clearly.

Writing well is the closest thing we have to a competitive advantage that compounds forever.

It makes you better at strategy, better at alignment, and better at leadership.

Here’s why writing is such a powerful lever:

1. Writing sharpens your thinking

If you can’t write the idea clearly, the idea isn’t clear yet.

Writing forces structure.
Structure forces clarity.
Clarity forces better decisions.

Most “strategy issues” are actually “thinking issues.”
Writing is how you expose them.

2. Writing reduces meetings

When you write well:

• You need fewer explanations
• People ask fewer questions
• Teams align faster
• Stakeholders feel more grounded

A good document can replace three meetings.

Sometimes more.

3. Writing earns trust

People trust leaders who communicate clearly.

A well-written message can turn a skeptical stakeholder into a partner.
A thoughtful doc can turn a tense review into alignment.
A concise update can give executives confidence.

Writing is leadership in print.

4. Writing clarifies trade-offs

Strong product writing doesn’t just describe a solution.
It outlines:

• Why this approach
• What alternatives you considered
• What trade-offs you're choosing
• What risks you’re accepting
• What success looks like

Writing is the clearest way to demonstrate judgment.

5. Writing scales your influence

When you speak, the impact is immediate but limited.
When you write, the impact grows:

• asynchronously
• across time zones
• across teams
• across leadership layers

A good doc reaches people you’ll never meet.

Influence multiplies quietly and repeatedly.

If you want to grow in your career, write more.
If you want to lead, write clearly.

Writing isn’t just communication—
it’s strategy, alignment, clarity, and leadership wrapped into one skill.