Meet the HackerNoon Top Writers – Satisfying the Curiosity Crunch: My Tech Writing Expedition

Introduction

I am currently a Staff Software Engineer at Twilio, working on the Phone Numbers product. I bring more than a decade of technical expertise and an inherent love for building products at scale. From building full-stack solutions using the latest technologies — React, Node.js, GraphQL, Microservices, Docker, and Kubernetes — to delivering critical products for Fortune 500 companies, I thrive on problem-solving and teamwork. I’ve successfully led cross-functional projects & teams to propel startups and established firms across telecommunications, subscription commerce, and enterprise planning product lines. This unique mix of hands-on engineering, leadership, and mentorship makes me well-suited to provide thought leadership on the future of technology and its impact on business.

How Did You Start Writing?

I actually discovered writing almost by accident while working as a frontend engineer on Twilio’s Phone Numbers team. We were rolling out a new feature, and I kept looking for answers at multiple places. One afternoon, I grabbed a blank doc and sketched a step‑by‑step guide for myself. Suddenly, I could see how writing forced me to clarify complex flows and helped me look for answers to the same questions again and again.

Soon, I drafted more documents on the systems and technologies I was working. I realized writing wasn’t just a supplement to calls—it was my way to scale impact, reach dozens at once, and leave a lasting reference.

How Has Technology Impacted The Way You Write?

Technology has completely changed my writing by enhancing every phase. I typically use any of the new AI tools to create a high‑level outline of the topic, and then I add my own thoughts and insights. Once I have an initial draft, I use Grammarly to fix any issues related to grammar, clarity, and flow. This mix of AI-assisted brainstorming and debugging ensures authenticity while making sure the content is error-free and engaging, allowing me to focus on creativity.

Share About Your Journey Highlights?

In the last year, I have written more than 10 moderated articles across multiple forums, and each one of those articles has taught me something new. My proudest moment came the day when one of my articles was featured on the HackerNoon homepage, that was a big W. After a few days, I was named as a Top 10 Cloud Writer.

My low was when one of the initial days when I had a lot of thoughts about a particular topic, but it took me a really long time to put them coherently into an article. Those early times of battling writer’s block were quite disappointing. They taught me that I gotta slow down, organize my thoughts, be consistent, and keep writing!

What’s Your Creative Process?

Most of my writing inspiration comes from the problems I faced at work or a new technology I have been learning on the side. First, I write down the main points in my Notion workspace, then I do some research to fill any gaps. Once I feel I have a good understanding, I write a rough draft, add some code snippets, my personal opinion, and learnings. I typically go through a draft 3-4 times to refine it before I submit it for review.

Your Favorite Memory/Article(s) to This Day?

Favorite article has to be: https://hackernoon.com/how-websockets-power-real-time-apps

How Did You Hear About HackerNoon? Share With Us About Your Experience With HackerNoon.

I first discovered Hackernoon about 6-7 years ago, and I have been an avid reader since then. I was amazed when I found a range of people from veteran CTOs to individual contributors sharing practical, hands-on, valuable insights on a wide range of topics. Inspired by this, I decided to jump on this bandwagon myself, and I have loved every aspect of being a writer. The editors have been incredibly supportive. They have kept me motivated, helped me immensely to refine my voice, and constantly get better.

What Have You Learnt From Your Journey?

I have learnt that writing is not just about telling but also about listening. It’s not about sharing technology, concepts, but also having clarity of thought, empathy, and insight for the reader. It’s very important to spend time doing due diligence, researching to turn vague ideas into a structured, meaningful story. Besides this, Iteration is very important; each revision made my article better than the last time, strengthening my message. Writing has also taught me patience, the power of being consistent & learning, it’s made me a much better, more empathetic engineer and communicator.

Final Thoughts

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” —Stephen King

Writing for HackerNoon has satisfied my appetite to learn, create, and connect with an inspiring community. Every article has challenged me to build, iterate, and share authentic insights. I am very grateful for the support, my personal growth – looking forward to new discoveries and new articles ahead.

Check out Mohit Menghnani’s HackerNoon profile here, and read more of his amazing stories!