(a) it's an ambiguous material (like wood), so anecdata go all ways
(b) it's for the future, i.e., easy to cut in a time pinch
(c) it presumes knowledge is shared, though it's often hoarded
(d) it's a tax on everyone's time
A helpful discussion of documentation would focus on specific use-cases: on-boarding developers, backgrounding design discussions, operational run-books...
In that context
(a) The cost/benefit is concrete
(b) You've identified the consumer/stakeholder, so they can speak the the present value
(c) Present work is value in terms of that future product
Then some documentation strategies become clear:
(1) Write for some specific reader. It's not a brain dump (unless it is, e.g., for departing engineer).
(2) Build in feedback cycles with actual users before completion
(3) Make it someone's job (put them on the hook) to deliver good documentation (for all users). They can optimize extraction and repurposing across the organization.
If I see director+ level people with no strategies for documentation, I conclude they're not building an organization.
(a) it's an ambiguous material (like wood), so anecdata go all ways
(b) it's for the future, i.e., easy to cut in a time pinch
(c) it presumes knowledge is shared, though it's often hoarded
(d) it's a tax on everyone's time
A helpful discussion of documentation would focus on specific use-cases: on-boarding developers, backgrounding design discussions, operational run-books...
In that context
(a) The cost/benefit is concrete
(b) You've identified the consumer/stakeholder, so they can speak the the present value
(c) Present work is value in terms of that future product
Then some documentation strategies become clear:
(1) Write for some specific reader. It's not a brain dump (unless it is, e.g., for departing engineer).
(2) Build in feedback cycles with actual users before completion
(3) Make it someone's job (put them on the hook) to deliver good documentation (for all users). They can optimize extraction and repurposing across the organization.
If I see director+ level people with no strategies for documentation, I conclude they're not building an organization.