The Only 2 Ways To Think About Writing Online as a Developer
One gets you instant traction, the other works for you and pays dividends
If you want to start writing online as a developer, there are two paths you can take:
Content treadmill path: Cover "this just happened," recent news, product launches, and expert takes.
Strategic career asset path: Each article you publish plants a seed, and your words compound over time and negotiate higher-paying job offers for you.
The first path is great for earning right away, especially on sites that pay per read time (think Medium). The second is less lucrative at the start, but pays dividends in a year or two.
In this article, I'll break down what each path looks like in practice and show you the pros and cons, so you can get started writing in the right tech content category today.
Path 1: Content Treadmill
Want instant traction? Write about what's happening right now.
This week alone, I've seen dozens of posts about GPT-5. Some call it underwhelming, others act like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.
But that's the essence - you chase the news cycle and get immediate engagement.
I know creators on Substack who published over 1,000 articles last year. That's three posts per day, every single day. And that's exactly what this path demands from you.
But here's the thing: if you're not 100% committed to this approach, don't even start.
Here's why:
You'll need to stay on top of everything happening in tech. That's exhausting when you're already working a 9-to-5 and trying to have a life.
You'll write constantly - not 5,000-word deep dives, but it's still a lot of context switching.
The days I write two articles leave me brain dead.
I can't even imagine writing more. Even with AI, you're likely to burn out in a month.
Worse yet, this approach won't advance your tech career much. Maybe if you want to switch to journalism, but most developers don't. You're not sharing personal experience or demonstrating expertise - you're just reacting to what others built or announced.
The content treadmill works if you want to monetize through ads on your own site. It can work on Medium since they pay per read time. But on Substack? Who wants three emails per day cluttering their inbox?
In essence, you'll get traffic, but that's about the magnitude of it.
Path 2: Strategic Career Assets
Most developers want to write online to advance their careers. That's exactly why I started.
This path doesn't care about immediate earnings. You write when you learn something new at work, when you solve a tricky problem, or when you implement a tool for the first time. You move the needle by sharing personal experiences.
Over time, your content compounds.
Publish just two articles per month - something anyone can manage - and you'll have 50 articles in two years. That's a massive content library centered around one topic, covering every angle there is.
No recruiter can ignore this. No one can tell you you're not experienced enough. Your writing portfolio speaks for you and negotiates better opportunities while you sleep.
This is the road I took.
After six years and 800+ articles published, here's what this path did for me:
Took me from junior developer to team lead
Landed me retainer writing contracts with companies I care about
Got me working directly with founders from 15+ companies worldwide
Scored me a book deal with Packt
It's not a brag. Far from it. I didn't have anything special to share. That's just my writing portfolio working for me and paying dividends.
But here's where I messed up. I was all over the place with topics. If you center your content around your specific stack or tools, you can own that niche in a year or two.
Don't pick broad terms like "Python" or "Docker." Niche down. Find your angle inside these big topics.
Big fish in a small pond perspective.
This approach works on any platform, but in 2025, I have to recommend you start with Substack. It lets you collect emails from day one
Platforms come and go, but your email list? That's pure gold.
How to Choose The Right Writing Path as a Developer?
I recommend the strategic career asset path to 99.9% of tech professionals.
You start by planting seeds and end up as the go-to expert in your niche. Better job offers find you. Promotions and salary bumps follow. And you'll have a steady side income from writing.
The content treadmill might work if you only care about curating news and expert opinions. But it's a guaranteed path to burnout that doesn't do much to advance your career. No personal stories, no lessons learned, no challenges overcome.
You're just reacting to what others built.
If you want a compromise, stick with the strategic path as your foundation, then write about niche-relevant "this just happened" topics when something truly changes how you work.
Maybe once every few months, not three times a day.
What's your content strategy as a tech professional? Do you have a third angle to share? Let me know in the comment section.
Talk soon,
Great framing, Dario! Especially your take on the “strategic career asset path.” It resonates a lot with what I see in today’s developer landscape.
Right now, many devs are focused on riding the AI wave: cutting hallucinations, boosting adoption, or trying to game HR pipelines to stand out after years of layoffs. But here’s the thing... if a developer hasn’t truly mastered the foundations of software craftsmanship, those efforts don’t amplify their strengths. They amplify their dysfunctions.
That’s why I built the SW Craftsmanship Dojo®, a space where devs can forge deep skills, rethink behaviors, and compound their expertise the same way you describe compounding writing assets. In the AI era, this combination of craft + narrative is what creates real career acceleration.
I share more on this in my newsletter, practical strategies for developers and their organizations, who want to thrive, not just survive, in the new AI-driven workplace.
Love how your article highlights the long game. Plant seeds with writing, strengthen roots with craft. That’s how devs turn uncertainty into opportunity. 🌱