An Unforgettable First Week: Attending Write the Docs with Kentik
Summary
What’s it like to kick off a new role at a remote company with a team trip and a week of meaningful connection? Our newest technical writer, Kendra Johng, shares how her first days on the job included bonding with her fellow Kentikians in Portland, inspiring moments at the Write the Docs convention, plenty of outings, great food and an unforgettable start.
When I accepted my offer to join Kentik, I expected the usual whirlwind of onboarding tasks, training, and team introductions. What I didn’t expect was that, just four days into my role, I’d be packing my bags and heading to Portland, Oregon, to attend the Write the Docs (WTD) conference with my Technical Writing teammates, Liz Zwiers and Ben Frick.
Kentik didn’t just say they value documentation and professional development — they showed it. The company made it possible for me to jump headfirst into the Doc team, network with other WTD attendees, and find inspiration to bring back to Kentik.
Adventure is out there
I joined WTD on the beautiful Forest Park hike, met a couple of folks, and experienced the lovely Japanese Garden. I even had some time to take a class at Femme Rising Studio – a modern martial arts studio with a mission to “empower women and girls through self-defense, jiu jitsu, and kickboxing training.”
The chance to connect with the team face-to-face was truly remarkable. I immediately felt energized and welcomed. Throughout the conference, our team had multiple opportunities to establish goals that align with Kentik’s priorities and discuss documentation standards and processes. And yes, there was an exchange of laptop stickers and inside jokes.
Write the Docs talks
I attended talks that covered some of the following topics:
- Turning user feedback into meaningful change by Rachel Rigdon
- How support and documentation teams transform technical content quality by Yanjie Niu
- Seven habits of increasingly technical technical writers by Janine Chan
- Docs as test: a strategy for resilient docs by Manny Silva
“Unconference” sessions (casual, small-group discussions) were just as insightful, and I was able to have meaningful conversations with writers and docs leaders from ServiceNow, Knowledge Owl, Vanguard, AWS, and more. We nerded out over document structure, feedback loops, workflows, and the power of having fun Slack channels. I realized I’ve found my people.
A word of thanks
I left WTD with a new fountain pen (thanks, Liz), a stomach full of phenomenal Portland cuisine, and the memory of an extraordinarily green hike. Thank you, Portland. More importantly, I came back with a close-knit team and concrete strategies for our documentation practices.
It’s rare to feel seen and supported so early in a new job. Kentik made that happen. It means a lot to be part of a company that values ongoing learning and professional growth. Investing in this conference during my first week sent a clear message. Your growth matters. Your voice matters — documentation matters.
To Kendra C., Liz, Ben, Christina, and the entire team – thank you. This was an unreal and amazing way to start my first week with Kentik. I’m excited to help shape the future of kb.kentik.com, one page at a time.
