Looking for an Expert Tech Storyteller? Let's Chat.

"There no boring subjects; there are only boring writers."
—Gary Bencivenga

Ours is a noisy world. There's no shortage of mediocre or downright awful tech writing out there. Many contemporary examples would fit well in an updated version of my 2015 book, Message Not Received. The ease of creating AI slop only exacerbates the problem.

It's never been more important for organizations to build compelling narratives around their products and services. Brass tacks: stories matter more than ever. Don't expect that reality to change anytime soon.

The data supports this assertion. Firms are increasingly shelling out beaucoup bucks for master storytellers. I'm talking about the rare birds who can use stories to make customers, prospects, and the public at large care about firms' new offerings.

I'm one of those folks. In this post, I'll explain:

1. Why I'm shaking things up—for the right in-house writing position.
2. My bona fides for such a role.
3. The specific titles that make the most sense.

Let's go.

Toggling, Taxes, and Text

Looking back at my career, it's not hard to identify some consistent themes:

• A specific affinity for new technologies. My time at Carnegie Mellon no doubt explains my fixation with new applications, systems, and devices.
• A preternatural curiosity.
• A willingness to embrace risk and make significant changes.
• A desire to consistently document my ideas in different formats.

These forces have driven most of my major professional decisions. For the last six months, the idea of helping a single tech company craft its message has become increasingly appealing. It's hardly the first time I decided to shake things up.

As but one example, a little over a decade ago, I wrote a post explaining my desire to enter academia as a college professor. The idea of taking my talents to academia appealed to me. Ultimately, I interviewed at four universities before accepting a full-time offer at Arizona State in May 2016. I taught information systems at ASU for four years. When COVID-19 arrived, I returned to the independent life.

The types of tax forms I've received over the last two decades have changed, but one thing has remained remarkably constant: I have constantly written about emerging tech. For a long time, the written word has represented a major source of my income, even when I drew a regular paycheck with health benefits.

Case in point: I wrote three books during my ASU tenure. Since departing, I've penned four more and have ghostwritten another two. And then there's the other short- and long-form client work.

My Bona Fides

Ideally my next employer requires and values someone with a proven track record of clear, engaging business and tech writing. More specifically, I:

• Have written about a wide array of business- and tech-related subjects. Check out a partial writing portfolio here.
• Bring a diversity of writing and research experiences to the table. (I have worked with firms of different sizes and in different industries.)
• Write quickly, efficiently, and with minimal supervision. (One recent highlight: I cranked out the 110,000-word manuscript for Zoom For Dummies in seven weeks.)
• Write well. (Five of my books have won awards.)
• Have created many bespoke, proprietary documents. I'm talking about lengthy user guides, internal reports, and training manuals for my consulting clients.
• Analyze and synthesize different types of information for different audiences.
• Appreciate the tradeoffs among fast, cheap, and good.
• Draw relevant parallels between contemporary and historical trends.
• Support my assertions with meticulous research.
• Produce compelling and original storytelling. (It is paramount—that's why you'll find case studies in all of my books.)
• Recognize the limitations of pure text—that is, I know when visuals and infographics would advance the article or white paper.
• Excel at online collaboration, especially on complex, multi-author projects. (The Next Wave of Technologies is a survey book with contributions from a dozen experts in their fields.)
• Build user-friendly systems to keep everyone on the same page and minimize email.
• Routinely use emerging AI tools, especially Claude.
• Respectfully suggest improvements not just to articles but to existing business processes and tech.

Ideal Writing Gigs

After browsing LinkedIn and giving it some thought, the most logical title is either:

• Storyteller.
• Brand Journalist.
• Evangelist. (This job typically involves public speaking, and I've done more than 400 gigs over my career.)

I would, however, entertain two other types of roles.

Internal Writer

Two groups stand out here. Technical writers document internal processes and training materials. For their part, internal communications professionals craft confidential and proprietary content.

AI Product Feature Amnesia

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Hybrid Wordsmith/Utility Player

To meet their writing and editing needs, some firms employ a jack-of-all-trades. In these roles, topics and audiences shift constantly—one project might target a specific internal team, while the next reaches a global audience. The role of utility player appeals to me. (See my prior note about my innate curiosity.)

If you know of a potential fit, let's chat.

Footnotes