Technical Writing Success

Curt Robbins
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Technical Writing Success is a podcast that's published daily (Monday-Friday) by veteran technical writer Curt Robbins. It helps IT professionals such as documentation specialists, information architects, and technical writers better understand their profession and the marketplace in which they operate. Each week, charismatic hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones unpack a different topic in under 10 minutes to help busy professionals stay current. Topics include documentation and communications strategies, the increasing role of AI, robotics, social media management, and career advancement.

  1. 9h ago

    Prompt Engineering for Technical Writers: A Practical Guide

    Welcome to episode 206 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.  Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones provide listeners with a practical manual for technical writers transitioning into the role of AI orchestrators by mastering the art of prompt engineering. The charismatic hosts outline a core framework involving Role, Context, Task, and Format to transform vague requests into high-quality, professional documentation. Beyond basic instruction, this episode emphasizes iterative refinement and the use of constraints and exclusions to eliminate common AI errors like jargon or inaccuracy. A critical highlight is the self-verification step, which forces the model to check its own logic for better technical precision. Ultimately, the source argues that a writer’s value now lies in their expert judgment and their ability to encode that knowledge into structured prompts. By adopting these repeatable patterns, professionals can leverage AI to handle the labor of writing while they maintain control over strategic quality. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins _________________________________ >> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

    13 min

  2. 1d ago

    Will AI Replace Technical Writers? The 2026 Reality.

    Welcome to episode 205 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.  Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones discuss the evolving landscape of technical writing as artificial intelligence reshapes the labor market in 2026 and beyond. While this episode acknowledges that AI-driven drafting threatens traditional roles focused solely on content production, it argues that the profession is actually shifting toward high-value oversight. Modern technical writers are transitioning into "context curators" who prioritize information architecture, quality assurance, and legal governance over manual writing. Human accountability remains the irreplaceable factor that distinguishes a successful professional from an automated tool. Ultimately, the text encourages writers to embrace AI orchestration and move "upstream" into product strategy to ensure their continued relevance. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins _________________________________ >> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

    17 min

  3. 2d ago

    Will Kelly: Owning a Custom AI Model is the Trick to Success

    Welcome to episode 204 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.  Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones discuss a June 16 article published by Technical Content Strategist and AI Enablement Lead Will Kelly from Springfield, Virginia entitled "Overthinking AI Writing is Cheap. Owning a Custom Model is the Work." Kelly argues that writers should stop wasting energy on philosophical debates regarding AI ethics and instead focus on building personal digital assets. According to him, relying solely on popular frontier models creates a risky dependency where users merely rent their capabilities from large corporations. To avoid this vendor lock-in, Kelly suggests developing a custom corpus and using open-weight models to encode one's unique voice and frameworks. This strategy transforms AI from a temporary transactional tool into a compounding professional asset that offers long-term leverage. Ultimately, Kelly emphasizes that ownership of technology is the only way for creators to remain competitive and independent in an automated future. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins _________________________________ >> Read the original Kelly article: https://tinyurl.com/477fstfn >> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

    8 min

  4. 3d ago

    How One Technical Writer Deals with Document Drift

    Welcome to episode 203 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.  Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones discuss a June 4 article by technical writer Mrinal M in India entitled "Documentation Drift: The Silent Distance Between Truth and Words." The article discusses the concept of documentation drift, which occurs when technical guides and instructional materials fail to keep pace with product updates. This phenomenon is compared to an outdated map, where small, unnoticed changes—such as renamed features or altered interface colors—gradually lead to user confusion. Because these discrepancies accumulate over time like dust, they eventually result in a significant loss of customer trust and an increased burden on support teams. Ultimately, the author emphasizes that accurate documentation is a vital component of the customer experience rather than just a secondary resource. Consequently, maintaining alignment between a physical product and its written description is essential for organizational efficiency and user satisfaction. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins _________________________________ >> Read the original article from Mrinal M: https://tinyurl.com/mtyca79m >> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

    10 min

  5. 6d ago

    Global Rise of Artificial Intelligence Employment Anxiety

    Welcome to episode 202 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.  Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones discuss the growing global anxiety regarding artificial intelligence and its potential to displace human workers. Recent data indicates that more than half of Americans fear the loss of household income due to automation, a sentiment that is also gaining traction within India’s technology sector. Experts suggest that this widespread uncertainty could trigger a resurgence in labor union organizing as employees seek protection against rapid corporate changes. While some industries are already restructuring roles in marketing and operations, there is an ongoing debate about whether AI will ultimately destroy or reinvent modern careers. Consequently, leaders are being urged to prioritize transparent communication and employee reskilling to manage this transition effectively. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins _________________________________ >> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

    10 min

  6. Jun 11

    Why AI Needs Technical Writers More Than Ever

    Welcome to episode 201 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.  Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones review a recent article from Katie T. in Toronto entitled "Why AI Needs Technical Writers More Than Ever" that was published on LinkedIn on June 8. She asserts that technical writers are becoming increasingly essential as artificial intelligence continues to proliferate in the workplace. While AI can generate large volumes of text, it often lacks the audience awareness and contextual judgment necessary to produce truly helpful or safe user documentation. Skilled writers bridge this gap by implementing structured data, ensuring factual accuracy, and establishing governance standards that prevent the spread of misinformation. Rather than being replaced by automation, she says that these professionals are actively shaping AI adoption by refining prompts and building the frameworks that make machine-generated content reliable. Ultimately, she argues that human oversight is the key to transforming raw AI output into meaningful and trustworthy communication for businesses. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins _________________________________ >> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/ywnektxv >> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

    9 min

  7. Jun 10

    Victoria Lazarus Newsletter Review: Documentation in Product Development

    Welcome to episode 200 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.  Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones review a recent newsletter issue from technical writer and documentation engineer Victoria Oluchi Lazarus in Nigeria entitled "Documentation Should Never Be an Afterthought in the Product Development Process" that was published on LinkedIn on June 2. Lazarus argues that documentation is an essential component of product development rather than a final task to be completed just before a launch. She highlights how including technical writers early in the process helps teams identify logical gaps, resolve inconsistencies, and ensure a better user experience. Waiting until a feature is finished often leads to lost context and inaccurate information, which ultimately hinders user adoption. Furthermore, Lazarus emphasizes that high-quality documentation provides the necessary foundation for effective AI implementation and internal knowledge management. Ultimately, Lazarus asserts that a product is only truly complete when it is clear enough for customers to understand and use with confidence. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins _________________________________ >> Read the original Lazarus newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/46j844th >> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

    6 min

  8. Jun 9

    Rob Hanna Article Review: The Humble Truth—We Create Content

    Welcome to episode 199 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.  Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones review a recent article from Toronto-based Precision Content CEO Rob Hanna entitled "The Humble Truth: We Create Content" that was published on LinkedIn on May 21 (link below). Hanna explains that technical communicators perform the vital task of converting raw data and specialized information into usable content tailored for specific audiences. This process is distinct from simply gathering facts, as it focuses on reducing ambiguity and providing the necessary context for users to make wise decisions. While artificial intelligence can generate fluent prose and summarize large datasets, the author argues it lacks the human judgment required to determine what details are truly essential or safe. Therefore, the professional value of a writer lies in governing knowledge and structuring information so that it remains reliable and actionable. Ultimately, the source emphasizes that the goal of documentation is to ensure the right audience can perform their tasks with confidence. _________________________________ "It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills," said Robbins. — Curt Robbins _________________________________ >> Read the original Hanna article: https://tinyurl.com/24anz9f2 >> Preserve your job with AI coaching from Curt Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/mr3m5fdz >> Read the Robbins article "The Year AI Went Nuclear: Six Largest M&A Deals of 2025": https://tinyurl.com/2vys3mrm >> Read the Robbins article "The Global AI Race: America vs. China": https://tinyurl.com/2uckj7wy >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding AI Hallucinations in Technical Writing": https://tinyurl.com/bdeyd64t >> Read the Robbins article "Yale Study: Impact of AI on the Job Market": https://tinyurl.com/f3cuvvxn >> Read the Robbins article "Why Large Language Models are Changing the World": https://tinyurl.com/bdfv63ca >> Read the Robbins article "Understanding Anthropic: Rising Star in AI": https://tinyurl.com/46btw22z >> Read the Robbins article "Comparing ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, & Grok": https://tinyurl.com/3zwttxhk >> Read the Robbins article "AI Job Replacement Fears Are Good. Here's Why.": https://tinyurl.com/p5t27t7d >> Join the LinkedIn group AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td >> Subscribe to the Technical Writing Success podcast: https://tinyurl.com/uu9hpyzt >> Subscribe to the YouTube channel AI for Career Success: https://tinyurl.com/29t4x5xu

    9 min
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Ratings & Reviews

2.3
out of 5
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About

Technical Writing Success is a podcast that's published daily (Monday-Friday) by veteran technical writer Curt Robbins. It helps IT professionals such as documentation specialists, information architects, and technical writers better understand their profession and the marketplace in which they operate. Each week, charismatic hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones unpack a different topic in under 10 minutes to help busy professionals stay current. Topics include documentation and communications strategies, the increasing role of AI, robotics, social media management, and career advancement.

Information

  • Creator
    Curt Robbins
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    210
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Curt Robbins
  • Show Website
    Technical Writing Success