The term “Documentation Required” refers to a project mandate indicating that software can’t be considered finished until it includes either a completed user guide, architecture overview, or an application program interface (API) reference. (An API is a framework that allows information in one software program to be accessed by another software program. APIs are used to pull things like weather temperatures or sports scores into the various apps that display this info.)
In short, even the coolest product can’t be considered ‘done’ until people know how to use it, maintain it, and interact with it.
The phrase has a broader definition as well, referring to instances where specific written proofs, records, or forms are needed in order to validate some process. For instance, when you submit a claim for reimbursement to your employer for a client dinner, “documentation required” in this context means you need to supply the receipt as part of your claim, and no, you may not be reimbursed for your $500 bottle of Opus One.
In terms of naming this newsletter, this double meaning of the phrase is very much by design. It’s both a space that focuses on technology - especially who that tech is impacting - and is also a space that prioritizes receipts over hot takes.
Speaking of naming: the Quick Start part of documentation, as I’m sure you know dear reader, is the part of larger User Guide that helps users begin using a product right away. They’re the steps needed to unpack, assemble, log in, launch. Such is the case with this entry.
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