Writing Tips by Jeff Bezos (Amazon)
by Joe · 29 things on Twos
- Use less than 30 words per sentence
- Due to the fact that → because
- Totally lacked the ability to → could not
- Replace adjectives with data
- We made the performance much faster → We reduced server side tp90 latency from 10 ms to 1 ms
- Eliminate weasel words nearly all customers
- Instead of "Significantly better"
- 87% of Prime members
- +25 baris points (bps)
- Does your witing pass the "So what" test?
- If you get a question, reply with one of the four Amazon answers:
- Yes.
- No.
- A number.
- I don't know (and will follow up when I do).
- Be objective: avoid adjectives and adverbs
- Adjectives are imprecise and don't contribute to making a decision.
- Most Amazonians react negatively to buzz words and qualifications without data.
- Go from using subjective terminology to objective terminology
- Avoid jargon and acronyms as they exclude non-experts and newcomers
- Always explain technical terms, acronyms, and abbreuiations the fist time they appear
- Example: "After we sign the Non- Disclusure Agreement (NDA)..."
- Weasel words are vague and create the impression of meaning. Don't use them!
- "would help the solution"
- "might bring clarity"
- "should result in benefits"
- "significantly better"
- "arguably the best"