Why Every Programmer Should Start Writing: Lessons from Three Veteran Developers

Many programmers now use personal blogs or public accounts to document their growth, and an increasing number recognize the importance of writing for professional development.

We interviewed three programmers who have consistently written for years to discover what writing brings them.

Han Yan – former Alibaba front‑end technology expert, five years of blog updates.

Hollis – Alibaba technology expert and public account owner with 200,000 followers.

Frank – open‑source project initiator and personal blogger.

Why Did I Start Writing?

Hollis: Writing helped me reflect and discuss technology with like‑minded friends. After graduating in 2015 and joining Alibaba’s back‑end team, I wrote my first article summarizing my interview experience, which not only consolidated my knowledge but also helped others.

Positive feedback and discussions motivated me to continue, evolving my content from simple problem logs to deeper principle analyses and best practices, eventually publishing a book and reaching nearly 200,000 readers.

What Does Writing Offer Programmers?

Han Yan: Writing serves as a work log that can attract users to a product. Recording problems, code snippets, error logs, and solutions creates valuable documentation that benefits both personal learning and team communication.

After graduate school, I co‑founded a startup and leveraged my writing habit to drive user growth.

Frank: I use writing to record “black‑tech” discoveries from game development and later share them through a blog, turning private notes into public knowledge.

Key Benefits Highlighted

Long‑term investment: Writing is akin to fitness or reading—consistent effort yields lasting personal value.

Improved work efficiency: Documenting technical issues, solutions, and meeting notes creates clear references that streamline collaboration.

Learning through output: The Feynman technique forces identification of knowledge gaps, turning writing into the most effective study method.

Personal branding: High‑quality articles attract traffic, enhance reputation, and open opportunities such as recruitment and publishing.

Broader perspective: Writing forces you to articulate problems fully, revealing hidden details and fostering deeper understanding.

Enhanced logic and communication: Structured writing improves logical thinking and conveys ideas clearly.

Community impact: Sharing solutions helps others, builds networks, and can lead to unexpected collaborations or career advances.

Unexpected Surprises

Han Yan gained better career prospects and a broader worldview; Hollis expanded his network, recruited talent, and co‑authored books; Frank discovered a passion for open‑source research and interdisciplinary learning.