Best API The Docs Podcasts (2025)

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Growing as a technical writer in the AI era with Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti 53:18

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3d ago53:18

53:18

In this episode, I talk with Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti about moving beyond strictly following documentation frameworks to embrace strategic thinking, his Seven-Action Documentation model that prioritizes user needs over content types, and how technical writers can grow and adapt in the AI era while positioning themselves as essential strategic partn…

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Kate sounds off on docs as an act of service 20:39

17d ago20:39

20:39

In this solo episode, Kate shares an update on her content update progress. She also reflects on Sarah Walker’s interview (S3:E18) and the concepts of Asteya, giving great service, and going the extra mile. I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with major navigation and UI changes that we rolled out in De…

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Yoga wisdom for technical writers with Sarah Walker 51:03

1M ago51:03

51:03

In this episode, I talk with Sarah Walker, a technical writer and yoga instructor, about how yoga principles like establishing foundations, respecting people’s time, and embracing practice over perfection can transform your approach to technical writing and help you create more mindful, user-centered documentation. Sarah and I discuss her path into…

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Kate sounds off on cognitive capital and learning 21:38

1M ago21:38

21:38

In this solo episode, Kate shares an update on her content update progress. She also reflects on Manny Silva’s interview (S3:E14), Ryan Macklin’s interview (S3:E16), and Liz Argall’s interview (S3:E13) and the importance of learning even when we don’t have explicit reasons to do so. I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledg…

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Empathy advocacy: Designing docs for all emotional states with Ryan Macklin 50:45

2M ago50:45

50:45

Learn how Ryan Macklin's "empathy advocacy" framework helps you design documentation that works for users in all emotional states (e.g. anxious, frustrated, exhausted, and curious/distractible) rather than assuming everyone comes to your docs in a perfect state of clarity. Ryan and I discuss his unique path into technical writing, starting from his…

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Kate sounds off on “good” documentation 23:32

2M ago23:32

23:32

In this solo episode, Kate shares an update on her content update progress. She also reflects on Nick Graziade’s interview (S3:E12) and Liz Argall’s interview (S3:E13) and the ways these interviews highlight some elements of “good” docs experiences. I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with major navigat…

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State of the Docs 2025: Insights from GitBook - Discussion with Addison Schultz 28:28

3M ago28:28

28:28

We discuss findings from GitBook's "State of the Docs" report (2025), for example that 90% view documentation as crucial for purchases, yet 40% of those interviewed don't track its performance. We talk of speeding up API integration, and GitBook's focus on refining adaptive and personalized documentation features, then address avoiding tunnel visio…

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Docs as Tests: Keeping documentation resilient to product changes with Manny Silva 1:03:11

3M ago1:03:11

1:03:11

In this episode, I'm talking with Manny Silva, a technical writer who created the "Docs as Tests" concept name and the open-source tool Doc Detective. We discuss how to automatically test your documentation for accuracy, why customer reports of broken docs are actually failed tests, and practical ways to implement automated documentation testing re…

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Connecting permaculture and documentation with Liz Argall 45:52

3M ago45:52

45:52

In this episode, I’m talking with Liz Argall, a writer I connected with at Write the Docs Portland 2025. We talk about working on open source projects, developing good qualitative metrics, her work with a permaculture nonprofit in Uganda, and the ways that being interviewed by a technical writer can make hidden expertise shine. Liz and I presented …

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How AI Impacts Technical Writing Workflows - Discussion with Anila Zaidi and Marco Spinello 56:07

4M ago56:07

56:07

Welcome back to the A(P)I The Docs podcast! We’re opening this new chapter with an absolute treat of an episode in which Anila Zaidi, Staff Technical Writer at Squarespace, and Marco Spinello, Senior Technical Writer at Booking.com discuss the transformative role of generative AI in technical writing and beyond. We explore how AI has evolved from a…

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Documentation as a creative endeavor with Nick Graziade 50:17

4M ago50:17

50:17

In this episode, I'm talking with Nick Graziade, a technical writer and musician who approaches documentation as a creative endeavor. We explore how his early fascination with Lego instructions and synthesizer manuals shaped his philosophy that technical writing doesn't have to be dry or boring, but can be passionate and innovative work that adapts…

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Kate sounds off on Write the Docs 26:51

4M ago26:51

26:51

In this solo episode, Kate shares an update on her content update progress. She also reflects on Sue Brandt’s interview (S3:E10) and on the Write the Docs Portland 2025 conference. I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with major navigation and UI changes that were rolled out in December. I updated an add…

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How to get hired as a tech writer with Sue Brandt 41:25

5M ago41:25

41:25

In this episode, I’m talking with Sue Brandt, a former Director of Documentation who’d hired around 60 people when we recorded the episode. We discuss practical strategies for technical writing job applications, what hiring managers are really looking for in resumes and interviews, and how to stand out in today’s competitive job market. Sue and I d…

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Kate sounds off on knowledge sharing and docs stewardship 16:18

5M ago16:18

16:18

In this solo episode, Kate shares an update on her content update progress. She also reflects on Marcia Riefer Johnston’s interview (S3:E8) and on the idea of docs stewardship as opposed to docs ownership. I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with major navigation and UI changes that were rolled out in D…

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The craft of technical writing with Marcia Riefer Johnston 52:31

6M ago52:31

52:31

In this episode, I’m talking with Marcia Riefer Johnston, a technical writer who’s worked in our industry for 40 years. We talk about how the profession has evolved since she first started in it, the grammar patterns that have helped her tighten up her writing, and how “creative” writing and “technical” writing are just different expressions of the…

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Kate sounds off on mice and iterating 17:28

6M ago17:28

17:28

In this solo episode, Kate shares an update on her content update progress, muses about the similarities between mice infestations and docs projects, and reflects more on Kenzie Woodbridge’s interview (S3:E6) and how we choose what we work on. Since Episode 5, I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with ma…

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We’re all responsible for content accessibility with Kenzie Woodbridge 45:28

7M ago45:28

45:28

In this episode, I’m talking with Kenzie Woodbridge, a documentarian and self-taught accessibility advocate. We talk about how feeling “not expert enough” is no reason to skip content accessibility, four ways you can make your content more accessible right now, and ways you can serve as an accessibility advocate as you review content and work with …

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Kate sounds off on docs hierarchy of needs and how we talk to ourselves 17:07

7M ago17:07

17:07

In this solo episode, Kate shares an update on working with content types, muses about the idea of a Documentation Hierarchy of Needs, and reflects more on Janine Chan’s interview (S3:E4) and how we talk to ourselves about being tech writers. — I may have overcommitted myself in Episode 3. I have been incorporating content type work into my massive…

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Bridging the gap from “not technical enough” to “technical” with Janine Chan 56:00

8M ago56:00

56:00

In this episode, I’m talking with Janine Chan, a technical writer and Write the Docs community moderator. We talk about how feeling “not technical enough” is as much about attitude and approach as it is about knowledge and ways you can bridge the gap to a more technical future. Janine and I discuss the fact that there’s no defined/established set o…

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Kate sounds off on content types 16:04

8M ago16:04

16:04

My current in-flight projects include updating nearly all of our documentation to reflect major changes to our user interface, which includes changes to screenshots, navigation options, and section/subsection labels. I’m also working on my long slog to convert all our screenshots from .png to .webp format. As I make all of those updates, I’m bringi…

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Developer collaboration with Lorna Mitchell 43:46

8M ago43:46

43:46

In this episode, I’m talking with Lorna Mitchell, a technology leader, published author, tech blogger, and developer experience expert who is passionate about APIs and developer tools. We talk about why developers writing docs is good for both your devs and your docs, the best ways to build successful collaboration with developers, and more! Lorna …

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Introducing The Not-Boring Tech Writer Reboot 12:46

9M ago12:46

12:46

Meet our new host Kate Mueller and get the inside scoop on how The Not-Boring Tech Writer (TNBTW) will work moving forward. Kate Mueller is the Documentation Goddess of KnowledgeOwl, a seasoned technical writer and owner of knowledgewithsass, a knowledge management coaching service. She’s written and maintained documentation for companies in broadc…

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Documentation by humans for humans - Discussion with Polina Zaichkina and Max Clayton Clowes 43:21

1y ago43:21

43:21

How do you get people on board when you shift to a new tool or a new approach? Even if the value proposition is clear, it might be a challenge to create a practice out of the change. In this episode of API The Docs, Polina Zaichkina (Senior technical writer at Codat) and Max Clayton Cowes (Product director for experience at Codat) share insights ab…

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From Inconsistent to Award-winning Docs - Conversation with Naomi Pentrel & Andrew Feierabend 50:38

1y ago50:38

50:38

In this episode, Naomi Pentrel and Andrew Feierabend share their journey of revamping Viam’s robotics APIs documentation. They discuss the benefits of sitting down with actual users in well-structured interview sessions with specific scripts and tasks. Learn about their approach to user research, their team’s collaborative methodology for achieving…

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The Secret Sauce of Developer Programs: A Conversation with Byrne Reese 56:46

1+ y ago56:46

56:46

Byrne Reese had the opportunity to build a number of developer programs over the years. In this episode, he explains his unique Developer Pyramid framework which he uses as a guide to build a successful and scalable developer program now at RingCentral. He also dives into his passion for board games and how it influences his approach to documentati…

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Teaching and Learning Git - Discussion with Anna Skoulikari 27:30

1+ y ago27:30

27:30

When it comes to learning Git, it can be daunting to navigate the plethora of learning resources out there. Recognising the need for a visually engaging all-levels experience, Anna Skoulikari (JetBrains) decided to write her own self-study book to help learners along the way.

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Install ways to check on the overall health of the portal - Conversation with Rachel Lee Nabors 25:39

1+ y ago25:39

25:39

"Key results are the things you're going to do to move that number. Here's the thing where most people spin out. There should be a break mechanism on the things that you're doing […] a culture of experimentation, and objective critique around 'Is this the right thing to be doing?” Welcome back to our two parts episode with Rachel Lee Nabors, we con…

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React.dev and storyboarding with Rachel Lee Nabors 23:37

1+ y ago23:37

23:37

"You can always tell when it's a novice writer or a writer and an artist who are in bad relation because there will be blocks of text everywhere explaining how the character is feeling […] There's a delicate balance to be struck and it's the same with code.” Welcome Rachel Lee Nabors, one of the creators behind the grand award-winning react.dev por…

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On the management track - conversation with Claire Waters 44:35

1+ y ago44:35

44:35

Drawing from her role as a wayfinder, Claire Waters (Senior Manager – Product Content Experience, Cloudflare) shares her team’s using the COIN methodology for embracing AI tools as a team, and how they engage in low-stakes AI challenges to foster familiarity and comfort with AI technologies.

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The zen of resilience - Discussion with Dan Grabski 49:23

1+ y ago49:23

49:23

You need docs and headspace when a well-oiled system inevitably throws a flat tire. With Dan Grabski we talked from car racing through tech execs mediating at Burning Man, forest fire incident management systems and early expectations setting all the way to API docs and back again.

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Writing with humans in mind - Discussion with Ryan Young 36:02

1+ y ago36:02

36:02

Technical writers walk a tricky tightrope between delivering accurate technical information and making it comprehensible for a wide range of users with varying levels of technical experience. In this episode, Ryan Young (Technical writer at Stripe) shares his thoughts on bridging the gap between different content layers and writing for humans in a …

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DevPortal Awards Jury Interview - Special Edition Part 4 16:34

1+ y ago16:34

16:34

How can one make their devportal accessible and useful at the same time? What can devportal owners do to support inclusive design? We were honored to ask Susanna Laurin (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies, G3ict and IAAP Representative to the EU) about these questions in 2023’s DevPortal Awards framework. As she highlighted, …

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DevPortal Awards Jury Interview - Special Edition Part 3 22:10

1+ y ago22:10

22:10

The API The Docs Podcast brings you a Special Edition series with insights from the 2023 DevPortal Awards. Each year, the DevPortal Awards seeks the most outstanding solutions with the help of experienced jurors, who are volunteers with extensive knowledge of API programs, developer portals, and API documentation. In the Special Edition series, we …

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DevPortal Awards Jury Interview - Special Edition Part 2 28:09

1+ y ago28:09

28:09

The API The Docs Podcast brings you a Special Edition series with insights from the 2023 DevPortal Awards. Each year, the DevPortal Awards seeks the most outstanding solutions with the help of experienced jurors, who are volunteers with extensive knowledge of API programs, developer portals, and API documentation. In the Special Edition series, we …

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DevPortal Awards Jury Interview - Special Edition Part 1 18:40

1+ y ago18:40

18:40

The API The Docs Podcast brings you a Special Edition series with insights from the 2023 DevPortal Awards. Each year, the DevPortal Awards seeks the most outstanding solutions with the help of experienced jurors, who are volunteers with extensive knowledge of API programs, developer portals, and API documentation. In the Special Edition series, we …

1
Harnessing the power of customer success - Discussion with Charlie Edwards 36:32

1+ y ago36:32

36:32

Connected to both customers and internal teams, customer success is a powerful source of valuable information throughout the entire feedback loop. In this episode, Charlie Edwards (Customer Success Manager at CAE Technologies Limited) explains how the feedback from customer success teams contributes to the comprehensive improvement of products. The…

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Building empathy with a beginner’s mindset - Discussion with Adrienne Braganza Tacke 49:46

1+ y ago49:46

49:46

Adopting a beginner’s mindset allows you to explore familiar concepts through a lens of curiosity and openness. But how does that translate to documentation? In this episode, Adrienne Braganza Tacke (Sr. Developer Advocate & DevNet Community Programs Lead at Cisco) explains the unexpected benefits of writing with newcomers in mind and how it can ta…

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Docs anthropology, and how to make content useful for the future - conversation with Portia Burton 27:22

1+ y ago27:22

27:22

How does a biological anthropologist become a professional docs auditor? Portia Burton, founder of DocumentWrite, narrates her meandering journey from biological anthropology to ESL China, through blockchain technology community engineering, all the way to content audit services. We talk about what to look for in an audit, and what is often critica…

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Demystifying DevRel and Tech Writing - Discussion with Kruno Golubic and Katarina Šupe 53:52

2y ago53:52

53:52

Technical writing and developer relations are relatively new areas, and they have both grown out of a need for these specific skill sets. However, for newcomers in the IT landscape, it might take a while to understand what they actually mean and how they support the work of developers. Kruno Golubic (technical writer at Memgraph) and Katarina Šupe …

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Fostering an API-first culture in a startup environment - Discussion with Alex Akimov and Helen Kosova 42:54

2y ago42:54

42:54

From rapid changes to learning on the fly, startups face unique challenges that require creative solutions. Alex Akimov (Head of API Platform at Monite) and Helen Kosova (API Technical Writer at Monite) discuss how Monite’s API council supports the adoption of an API-first approach at the company.

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Empowered community through user-centered design - Discussion with Anthony Pichardo 23:51

2y ago23:51

23:51

With Anthony Pichardo, product manager at Visa Developer Platform, on the value of user-centered design and building non-zero sum environments where everyone wins. Community is not just an afterthought, it’s an integral part of strategy. The platform team conducts regular user research to gauge pain points, and constantly strives to minimize the le…

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Unified documentation hubs versus documentation islands - Discussion with Christoph Weber and Kristof Van Tomme 41:00

2y ago41:00

41:00

We explore how developer documentation hubs enable a unified information architecture, at least outwards: our guests Christoph Weber (Pronovix) and Kristof Van Tomme (Pronovix) talk about the nuanced, socio-technical nature of large scale documentation processes, the need for a central API docs team, and the future use of private LLMs.…

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Why convert from markdown to confluence? - Interview with Paula Cristina Vaz 23:46

2+ y ago23:46

23:46

Developers are the ones who know their APIs best, but they need an easy documentation process that wouldn’t be too different from the coding lifecycle to produce the technical documentation at scale. Senior technical writer Paula Cristina Vaz outlines the Documentation Framework at Farfetch, created to process markdown files and convert them to Con…

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Innersource and the meaning of collaboration - Interview with Daniel Izquierdo and Kristof Van Tomme 50:09

2+ y ago50:09

50:09

Daniel Izquierdo (Bitergia) and Kristof Van Tomme (Pronovix) explained their journey with innersource and open-source communities. They also discussed what a company can do with documentation islands (or silos), and what are the role of technical writers in this process. What is the connection between innersource and documentation? How can we defin…

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The valuable problem: about Domain Driven Design with Luca Vettor 42:43

2+ y ago42:43

42:43

Business and technical personas may have different skills, and in many cases, they use different terminology. Luca Vettor (Information Architect at Deltatre) explained how Domain Driven Design and event storming create transparent communication between the two personas. What is induced and intrinsic complexity? How could we define the problem space…

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A love letter to technical writing - Passo Uno, Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti 41:34

2+ y ago41:34

41:34

Why did Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti (Senior Staff Technical Writer at Splunk) write a love letter to technical writing? How could technical writers create a bridge between the different parts of a company? With an MSc in cognitive psychology, Fabrizio shares a nuanced perspective in his ‘Docs' hierarchy of priorities’ and associated metrics.References…

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Docs-as-Code for better collaboration at Amadeus for Developers - Interview with Anna Tsolakou and Mathieu Pincovai 27:11

2+ y ago27:11

27:11

Anna Tsolakou (Developer Advocate) and Mathieu Pincovai (Customer Success Specialist) shared with us the journey on how Amadeus for Developers created consistent and clear documentation. We also talked about why the docs-as-code approach is so crucial for them, and how they can create the right documentation for their APIs.…

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Advocacy at Spotify for Developers - Interview with Serah Njambi Kiburu and Alvaro Navarro 56:06

2+ y ago56:06

56:06

Spotify Senior Developer Advocates Serah Njambi Kiburu and Alvaro Navarro talked with us about the two enemies of developer empathy, and their practices to optimise and scale for the community’s real needs. We also asked why Spotify even needs an API developer portal, and why isn’t it built on backstage? (spoiler alert) They have good reasons for t…

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Typical patterns in the process of API learning – Interview with Emese Hallgató 30:09

3y ago30:09

30:09

Our guest Emese Hallgató works as a UX researcher at Pronovix Developer Portals. Her education and experience in computer programming and in psychological research open the door to better understanding developers and their needs. How do developers approach coding, and what do they need to reach a state of flow? We talk about the archetypes of syste…

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Techwriting, DX and DevRel working together at Miro - Part 2 31:37

3y ago31:37

31:37

In Part 2 of our conversation with Miro's DevRel Lead Anthony Roux and Senior Techwriters Mira Balani and Marco Spinello, we walk deeper into how their respective teams complement each other, and we will also get a detailed narrative from Anthony about their process to aggregate all types of feedback, whether it's a feature requests, bugs, or docum…