How to Write Blog Posts that Developers Read

The page argues that many developer blog posts fail because they meander, miss the intended audience, or have no realistic way to reach readers. It says the first title and three sentences should answer who the post is for and what the reader gains, then the article should broaden its appeal when possible, plan how readers will find it, add pictures, and make it work for skimmers.

Reading notes

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• The author says he has blogged about software development for nine years and has seen both strong successes and many failures.
• The main mistake he identifies is meandering before making the point.
• The title and first three sentences should show who the article is for and what benefit it offers.
• An article can sometimes reach a much wider audience with a small change early on, such as replacing jargon with more accessible terms.
• A useful topic also needs a realistic path to readers through Google, Hacker News, Reddit, Lobsters, or niche forums.
• The page says a post should have multiple chances to succeed instead of depending on only one channel.
• Adding pictures is presented as one of the biggest improvements a post can get.
• The article says skimmers should still find the structure and visuals interesting when they scan headings and images.