API The Docs Podcast

We discuss findings from GitBook's "State of the Docs" report (2025), for example that 90% view documentation as crucial for purchases, yet 40% of those interviewed don't track its performance. We talk of speeding up API integration, and GitBook's focus on refining adaptive and personalized documentation features, then address avoiding tunnel vision and keeping discoverability for users, underscoring the ongoing innovation in the field.  Bio: Addison Schultz is a web developer & designer working and living in Tokyo, Japan. He leads the developer relations team at GitBook, a tool for technical teams to document their products and APIs. He's been working the last 7 years on collaborative tooling, worked with some of the world’s leading design and development companies, providing product teams with advice and industry advice on how teams can build better products, faster. References:  https://www.stateofdocs.com/2025/ [https://www.stateofdocs.com/2025/] https://gitbook.com/docs/ [https://gitbook.com/docs/] https://apithedocs.org/ai-docs-online-2025 [https://apithedocs.org/ai-docs-online-2025 ]

Welcome back to the A(P)I The Docs podcast! We’re opening this new chapter with an absolute treat of an episode in which Anila Zaidi, Staff Technical Writer at Squarespace, and Marco Spinello, Senior Technical Writer at Booking.com [http://booking.com] discuss the transformative role of generative AI in technical writing and beyond. We explore how AI has evolved from an experimental tool to an essential aid whilst also touching on the challenges and ethical considerations surrounding AI.

How do you get people on board when you shift to a new tool or a new approach? Even if the value proposition is clear, it might be a challenge to create a practice out of the change.  In this episode of API The Docs, Polina Zaichkina (Senior technical writer at Codat) and Max Clayton Cowes (Product director for experience at Codat) share insights about building a culture of participation around documentation and achieving internal enablement.

In this episode, Naomi Pentrel and Andrew Feierabend share their journey of revamping Viam’s robotics APIs documentation. They discuss the benefits of sitting down with actual users in well-structured interview sessions with specific scripts and tasks. Learn about their approach to user research, their team’s collaborative methodology for achieving daily usability wins, mentoring, and implementing larger-scale changes like automation. And it all started with a smart cat feeder!

Byrne Reese had the opportunity to build a number of developer programs over the years. In this episode, he explains his unique Developer Pyramid framework which he uses as a guide to build a successful and scalable developer program now at RingCentral. He also dives into his passion for board games and how it influences his approach to documentation, and explores the Workflow Builder tool that redefines building on the RingCentral platform. Tune in for all the details!