I've encountered teams in the past that are struggling to communicate effectively, make informed decisions, and deliver high-quality products on time. One key factor that I've observed to be a consistent differentiator between successful and struggling teams is documentation. In this post, I'll explain how documentation plays a crucial role in product teams and why it should be treated as the lifeblood of an effective team.
Note: This goes for both Onsite, Hybrid and Remote teams. However, Remote- & Hybrid teams benefit the most from this by far
Documentation helps establish a single source of truth that everyone on the team can refer to. This ensures that everyone is on the same page about product requirements, goals, and progress, which eliminates confusion and misunderstandings that can arise from verbal communication alone.
When team members (especially new ones) are able to access and refer to well-maintained documentation, collaboration becomes much more efficient. It allows them to quickly get up to speed on a project or feature, provide input, and contribute effectively without having to rely on time-consuming meetings or conversations to gather the necessary information which are huge time sinks.
Proper documentation dramatically reduces the time it takes to onboard new team members. Instead of spending weeks or even months trying to understand the product and its intricacies, new hires can hit the ground running by reviewing the documentation and asking targeted questions as needed.
Product Vision and Strategy: This document outlines the overall vision and long-term goals of the product, providing context and direction for the team.
Tool(s): Confluence
Product Roadmap: A high-level, visual representation of the product's development plan, showing priorities, milestones, and timeframes.
Tool(s): Miro & Confluence
User Personas and Stories: Documentation that captures the needs, motivations, and goals of the target users, which helps the team design and develop features that cater to those users.
Tool(s): Confluence & Product board
Feature Specifications (Hard to maintain but very powerful): Detailed descriptions of each feature, including its purpose, requirements, and any necessary constraints.
Tool(s): Confluence & JIRA or Trello
Technical Documentation (In conjunction with tech): Information on the product's architecture, codebase, and any relevant technical decisions that have been made.
Tool(s): Confluence
Design Documentation: Wireframes, mockups, and other design assets, as well as any design guidelines or principles the team should follow.
Tool(s): Confluence, Zeroheight & Figma
Release Notes and Changelogs: A record of changes made to the product, including bug fixes, new features, and improvements.
Tool(s): Confluence
Outdated documentation can be just as harmful as a lack of documentation. Make sure to regularly update your documents as your product evolves and new information becomes available.
Store your documentation in a centralized and easily accessible location, such as a company wiki or a shared document repository. Ensure that every team member knows where to find the documentation and has the necessary permissions to access it.
Write your documentation in a clear and concise manner, avoiding fancy jargon or acronyms that might not be familiar to everyone and create confusion. Use visuals and diagrams when they can help clarify complex concepts.
For readability, I always leverage bullet points, tables, coloring & a lot of spacing - making the content easier to digest.
Encourage team members from other teams to contribute to documentation, not just product managers or technical writers. This ensures that documentation is comprehensive and reflects the collective knowledge of the team.
Documentation is the lifeblood of effective product teams. By establishing a single source of truth, facilitating collaboration, and reducing onboarding time, proper documentation empowers teams to deliver high-quality products on time and with fewer hiccups. As a Product Leader, it's crucial to prioritize documentation and establish best practices to ensure your team's success.
Thank you,
Björn 🐻
