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Joshua Bernoff

Writing Without Bullshit

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  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    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.
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    Editors and reviewers exist to reveal what you cannot see, not to tell you what to do.
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    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.
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    The Internet is full of made-up numbers.
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    Words lie. Numbers don’t.
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    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.”
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    In this example, “you” refers to customers, and “we,” to the company.
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    If the exceptions are important enough to consider, write about them explicitly. (
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    If you’re afraid of generalizing—if you think there’s a good chance you’re wrong—then don’t generalize.
  • Sofia Voytovychhas quoted2 years ago
    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.
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