Building Down-to-Earth Documentation: Lessons from Cody Deitz

Gowri: Good day, everyone! Welcome to the Knowledge Base Ninjas podcast.

Today, I’m joined by Cody Deitz, Senior Technical Writer and Proposal Specialist at Tonkean. Welcome to the show, Cody!

Cody: I’m doing very well. Thanks for having me.

Gowri: The pleasure is ours! You have many years of experience in this field. Let’s start by going back a few years—how did your journey into technical writing begin? Who or what inspired you?

Cody: My background before technical writing was primarily academic. I was training to become a writing professor. While finishing my doctorate and dissertation, I started exploring job opportunities and came across technical writing roles.

It wasn’t intentional at first, but I ended up really enjoying it. I’ve always been interested in technology and mechanical systems, so it aligned well with my writing background.

Over time, I moved more into developer-focused documentation, grew through a few roles, and eventually landed at Tonkean, where I’m currently the sole technical writer. It’s been a great experience leading strategy while also contributing individually.

Gowri: That’s interesting—especially when something you were already passionate about turns into a career.

Cody: Exactly. I initially thought I’d pursue a tenure-track academic career, but I got a bit burnt out from teaching. Things just aligned at the right time.

Gowri: On your LinkedIn profile, you mention that your documentation style is “down to earth.” What does that mean?

Cody: Over the past decade, documentation, especially in enterprise settings—has become more approachable and readable. It’s moved away from being overly formal.

As technical writers, one of our strengths is meeting users where they are. While some scenarios require expert-level terminology, many documents suffer from being too formal or assuming too much knowledge.

I prefer documentation that feels more human, less rigid and easier to engage with. It’s simply more enjoyable to read and write.

Gowri: Absolutely. Keeping the audience in mind is key.

Cody: Exactly—it’s all about audience awareness.

Gowri: People enter technical writing from many different backgrounds. What do you think is the common thread among them?

Cody: Great question. I think it’s a passion for clarity—helping make complex or opaque information easier to understand.

Many technical writers have a knack for breaking down sophisticated concepts into their core elements. It’s also rewarding to create something genuinely useful.

We often see people coming from engineering or writing backgrounds—academia, marketing, etc. What they share is a passion for learning and simplifying complexity.

Gowri: What draws people to this field? Is it the writing itself or the problem-solving aspect?

Cody: It’s usually a combination. People enjoy writing, but also working with interesting subject matter—whether it’s software, hardware, or processes.

There’s also a collaborative aspect. A former manager of mine used to say, “Communication solves 99.9% of problems.” Technical writers play a key role in enabling that communication across teams.

That facilitative role is very rewarding.

Gowri: If someone enters technical writing today with AI tools available from day one, what might they miss out on?

Cody: We’re at an interesting—and sometimes challenging point in this field. AI tools are reducing the need to start from a blank page and handle tedious manual work like parsing specs or notes.

But one thing people might miss is the experience of starting from zero. That process forces you to think deeply:

• Who is my audience?
• What do they need?
• How should I explain this?

Even with AI, those questions remain the same. The difference is whether you’re writing everything manually or refining AI-generated content.

There’s still value in doing things the hard way, at least initially. But ultimately, we should embrace these tools and use them effectively.

Gowri: Absolutely—adapting to technology is essential.

Gowri: Can you share a few resources you recommend?

Cody:
– I’d Rather Be Writing by Tom Johnson is a must-read for anyone in technical writing.
– Passo Uno by Fabrizio Ferri Benedetti offers excellent perspectives, especially on how technical writing is evolving in the AI era.
Both are highly valuable resources for staying current and improving your craft.

Gowri: One word that comes to your mind when you hear “documentation”?

Cody: Clarity.

Gowri: What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

Cody: Trust the process and stay the course.

Gowri: We may not have covered everything from your experience, but I hope I’ve done justice to your journey.

Cody: Absolutely. It’s an interesting time in technical writing; many things are changing, but many fundamentals remain the same. It’s been great chatting with you.

Gowri: Thank you, Cody. It was wonderful speaking with you. All the best for your upcoming projects!

Cody: Thank you, you too!