Charity Majors • 2/19/2026

First I wrote the wrong book, then I wrote the right book

Charity Majors recounts her journey of writing a second edition of a software book, initially struggling with writer's block after seeking advice from the tech community. She discovered she had written the wrong content—practical advice for observability and platform engineers—when her inbox overflowed with stories about software buying politics, vendor manipulation, and executive overrides. Realizing the need to address the real challenges of purchasing software, she pivoted to write the right book, focusing on the human and organizational aspects of tech procurement.

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#software engineering #career advice #technical writing