Christopher Justice · Framework & Methodology
Your Documentation Strategy Is Backwards
The traditional approach: Build → Ship → Document. By step 3, context is already fading.
# Your Documentation Strategy Is Backwards
The traditional approach: Build → Ship → Document. By step 3, context is already fading.
Before: Document intent. What are you trying to accomplish? Why?
During: Document decisions. What did you decide? Why? What alternatives did you reject?
After: Document outcomes. What happened? Did it work? What did you learn?
This sequence captures context when it exists, not after it's gone.
Before starting: 2 minutes to write intent. During work: 30 seconds per decision. After completing: 2 minutes for outcomes.
Total: 5-10 minutes spread across the effort. Context preserved instead of lost.
Related articles
- Closed-Loop Engineering
- Evidence-Based Development Isn't Optional Anymore
- Intent Before Automation: The Mistake Everyone Makes
- Lightweight Documentation That People Actually Read
- The Role That's Missing from Every AI Team