What Patrick McKenzie thinks about documentation

@patrick-mckenzie · 33 positions · On ppll ↗

Software engineer and writer, known online as patio11. Ran the small software business Bingo Card Creator and Starfighter, then worked at Stripe; writes about the mechanics of money at Bits about Money and wrote for years at Kalzumeus about careers, negotiation and the business of software.

Patrick McKenzie did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

Filter documentation · Newest first

Topic

All 33 hiring 8 America 5 behavioural science 3 documentation 2 government 2 startups 2 agency 1 AI and jobs 1 crypto 1

6 more topics

empathy 1 journalism 1 management 1 mathematics 1 politics 1 simplicity 1

Sort

Newest Oldest

Only Patrick McKenzie on documentation. See everyone on documentation

2 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Patrick McKenzie has said — not written or endorsed by them.

2 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

1 May 2026

Our readingComplex professional practice, including law, can be reduced to written playbooks that make its outcomes reproducible without requiring artisanal mastery.

Their wordsBut in law, as in restaurants, we are allowed to write down recipes and tell people to just follow the steps.

↗Notes on a non-profit indicted for bank fraudbitsaboutmoney.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
1 May 2026

Our readingThe mandatory financial-transaction reporting regime functions as an end-run around the Fourth Amendment.

Their wordsOne critique is that this regime is functionally an end-run around the Fourth Amendment.

↗Notes on a non-profit indicted for bank fraudbitsaboutmoney.com 3rd of 3 in this piece