We talk with Sharon Burton, editor of Women in Technical Communication, about how women’s stories reveal the real history of technical communication and why our work is bigger than “typing words.” We connect documentation to revenue, customer stickiness, and institutional knowledge while facing the disruption and cost realities of AI. 

Episode highlights:

• Sharon’s path into TechCom and how the book comes together 
• How the field flips from mostly men to mostly women over 50 years 
• Why AI changes workflows but does not replace task analysis and judgment 
• Tying documentation and user assistance to retention, adoption, and revenue 
• Why being left off the “team” slide hurts and how writers validate each other 
• Using conferences to learn the current language for proving value 
• Shared patterns for women in tech across cultures and generations 
• Documenting careers and decisions before retirements erase context 
• The pay gap still showing up in today’s data 

Use discount code ITC26 to save $200 on registration for this year's LavaCon.