Writing Without Bullshit

If you have nothing to say, say nothing. Not replying works just as well as “I don’t know.” Why clutter others’ inboxes with a proclamation of your ignorance?

• If no answer is required, say nothing. There’s no need to respond to informational messages unless you have an additional observation that others can benefit from.

• If you have an answer to a question, be brief. If you’re responding to an email sent only to you, send a complete answer.

Editors and reviewers exist to reveal what you cannot see, not to tell you what to do.

Don’t publish growth rates without a base. When I was an analyst, vendors were always telling me stuff like “Our revenues have grown 200% in the last year.” That means nothing; if you brought in $100 last year, then the $300 you’ve generated this year isn’t very impressive. Unless you cite both the growth and the base, your numbers lack the context to be credible.

The Internet is full of made-up numbers.

Words lie. Numbers don’t.

Notice how the first sentence defines what “we” means (Avaya) and what “you” refers to (“businesses and government groups of all sizes”). From there, it’s a lot easier to rewrite the description in terms of what “we” do for “you.”

In this example, “you” refers to customers, and “we,” to the company.

If the exceptions are important enough to consider, write about them explicitly. (

If you’re afraid of generalizing—if you think there’s a good chance you’re wrong—then don’t generalize.

I want you to take a different path. When you want to write a general statement, write it as boldly as you can. Eliminate adverbs, wimpy adjectives, and vague quantities like “millions” and “many.” Replace them with the boldest statements you can make, with actual numbers, or with specifics.