Amazon's writing-first culture

writing tips

• use less than 30 words per sentence
  • Due to the fact that -> Because
  • Totally lacked the ability to -> could not
• Replace adjectives with data
  • we made the performance much faster -> we reduced server side tp90 latency from 10ms to 1ms
• Eliminate weasel words
  • nearly all customers -> 87% of prime members
  • significantly better -> 25bps more
• Does your writing pass the 'So what' test?
• Reply with one of the 4 answers to question
  • yes
  • no
  • a number
  • I don't know. (and will follow up when I do)

Style tips

• use time efficiently : make sentences clear and concise
  • use subject-verb-object sentences with 'doers' and 'actions'
  • Avoid long sentences(-30 words)
  • Avoid clutter words + phases
  • Example
    • with the possible exception of -> except
    • due to the fact that -> because
    • totally lacked the ability to -> could not
    • until such time as -> until
    • for the purpose of -> for
• Be objective: avoid adjectives and adverbs
  • adjectives are imprecise and dont contribute to making a decision
  • Most amazonians react negatively to buzz words and qualifications without data
  • Example
    • Sales increaed significantly -> increased by 40%
    • much faster -> from 10ms to 1ms
    • extremely successful -> increase output by 2.5%
• Avoid jargon and acronyms as they exclude non-experts and newcomers
• Aways explain technical terms, acronyms, and abbreviation the first time they appear
  • After we sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement(NDA)
• Weasel words are vague and create the impression of meaning. don't use those
  • Donts
    • would help the solution(X)
    • should result in benefits(X)
    • significantly better(X)

https://managebetter.com/blog/writing-at-amazon