

Ask YC:  How important are writing skills when considering new employees/cofounders? - iamelgringo

It seems that good writing is actually an important soft skill when it comes to programming.  Arguably, it seems that most of the A-list hackers are known primarily for the quality of their writing as opposed to the quality of the code they produce.  PG would certainly be largely unknown if it weren't for his essays and books (which lead of course to this site and YC).  Other A-list hackers come to mind:  Peter Norvig, DHH, Linus Torvalds, Steve Yegge, etc...<p>When you're looking for new hires, co-founders or contributors, how important are writing skills in your decision making?
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byrneseyeview
[http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2006/07/get-famous-by-not-
pr...](http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2006/07/get-famous-by-not-
programming.html)

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noodle
it really depends on the situation, i feel.

good writing is a wonderful skill, no question. but there are also other
important skills necessary to a business. you've got to judge things on a
case-by-case basis depending on the needs of the company.

good writing, just like many other skills, are proverbial icing on the cake of
potential employees/founders/etc.

