You know what? I’m going to say something that might get me blocked from a few tech blogs: The obsession with making yourself the main character of every article is killing your credibility.
Let me explain. I’ve been writing about tech for years on CYBEV.io, and I’ve seen the pattern. You open a post, and within the first two paragraphs, the writer is telling you about their morning coffee, their dog’s reaction to a new gadget, or their “journey” to understanding blockchain. It’s exhausting. Here’s the hard truth: Your readers don’t care about you. They care about what you can do for them.
I’m not saying be a robot. But I am saying that if every article you write starts with “I,” you’re probably missing the point. The best tech writing? It disappears. The reader forgets the author exists and just absorbs the information. That’s the goal.
Let’s break down why making yourself the subject is a trap, and how you can write tech content that actually sticks.
The "Me, Me, Me" Trap That Tech Writers Fall Into
Here’s what most people miss: Authority doesn’t come from being the main character. It comes from being the invisible guide.
I’ve found that when I write about a new framework or a productivity hack, the temptation is to lead with my experience. “I tried this tool for a week and here’s what happened.” That’s fine for a personal journal. But for a tech blog that wants to be taken seriously? It’s a gamble.
Why? Because your experience is just one data point. It’s not universal. If you write “I hated the new iPhone because the camera was too slow,” you’ve just made yourself the subject. A reader who loves the camera will dismiss you. But if you write “The new iPhone camera has a 0.2-second shutter delay in low light — here’s how that affects real-world use,” you’ve made the tool the subject. You’re now a guide, not a protagonist.
Let’s be honest: Nobody clicked on your article to hear your life story. They clicked because they have a problem — a slow laptop, a confusing app, a broken workflow. Your job is to solve that problem, not to be the star of the show.
I’ve seen bloggers with 50,000 followers tank their engagement because every post was a diary entry. “I woke up at 5 AM to code, then I made a smoothie, then I realized the API was down.” Stop. Just stop.
The Surprising Secret to Writing Tech Content That Gets Shared
Want the real inside scoop? The most viral tech articles are the ones where the author is almost invisible.
Think about the last time you shared a tech article. Was it because the author had a witty personality? Or was it because the article solved a specific problem in a way you hadn’t seen before? I’m betting it was the latter.
Here’s a quick list of what makes tech content shareable:
- It answers a burning question — not “What I think about AI,” but “How to fix the 3 common AI hallucination errors in GPT-4.”
- It provides a framework — not “My journey with Kubernetes,” but “The 7-step Kubernetes deployment checklist.”
- It gives a comparison — not “Why I switched to Linux,” but “Windows 11 vs. Ubuntu 24.04: 5 benchmarks that matter for developers.”
- It predicts a trend — not “My prediction for 2025,” but “The hidden cost of edge computing that most CTOs are ignoring.”
I’ve personally found that when I remove myself from the narrative — when I stop saying “I think” and start saying “Here’s the data” — my articles get more shares, more backlinks, and more comments. It’s counterintuitive, but it works.
The 3 Essential Shifts to Make Your Tech Writing Invisible (and Effective)
If you want to stop being the main subject of every article, you need to make three deliberate shifts. These aren’t easy, but they’re essential.
Shift #1: From “I” to “You” This is the most obvious but hardest to implement. Every time you catch yourself writing “I did this,” ask: “Can I rephrase this as ‘You can do this’?” Or even better, “Here’s how to do this.”
Example:
- Bad: “I struggled with Docker containers for weeks.”
- Good: “Docker containers can be tricky. Here’s how to avoid the 3 common pitfalls.”
Shift #2: From Story to Structure Stories are great, but they’re not the point. The point is the solution. If you’re telling a story, make sure it serves the solution, not your ego.
I once wrote an article about debugging a memory leak in Node.js. The first draft started with a story about how I was up until 3 AM. The final version started with “Memory leaks in Node.js often stem from three root causes.” The second version got 10x the traffic. Why? Because the reader wanted to fix their leak, not hear about my late night.
Shift #3: From Opinion to Evidence Opinions are cheap. Data is gold. Instead of saying “I believe React is better than Vue,” say “React has 40% more job listings than Vue, but Vue has a 15% higher developer satisfaction score in the 2024 State of JS survey.”
Now you’re not the subject. The data is the subject. And data doesn’t have an ego.
The Shocking Truth About Authority in Tech Blogging
Here’s what most people get wrong: You don’t build authority by showing how much you know. You build it by showing how much you can help.
I’ve seen new bloggers with zero experience get massive traction because they focused on the reader’s problem. Meanwhile, experts with 20 years of experience get crickets because every post is a “look at me” flex.
The shocking truth? Your readers don’t care if you’re an expert. They care if you’re useful.
Let me give you an example. I follow a developer on Twitter who writes about Rust. He has no degree, no certifications, and no corporate background. But every one of his blog posts starts with a question like: “How do you handle errors in Rust without panicking?” He doesn’t say “I’ve been writing Rust for 5 years.” He just gives the answer. His articles get shared constantly.
Compare that to another developer I know who writes “In my experience as a senior engineer at Google, I’ve found that...” Every post is about him. His engagement is terrible. Why? Because authority is earned by serving, not by boasting.
How to Write Tech Content That Makes Yourself Disappear (and Your Reader Shine)
Ready for the practical stuff? Here’s my step-by-step process for writing tech articles where you are not the main subject.
Step 1: Start with the problem, not the person. Open your article with a question or a pain point. “Are you tired of slow database queries?” Not “I was tired of slow database queries.”
Step 2: Use “here’s how” instead of “here’s what I did.” “Here’s how to optimize your MySQL queries in 5 minutes.” Not “Here’s how I optimized my MySQL queries.”
Step 3: Cite sources, not stories. Instead of “I found that this approach works,” say “Benchmarks from TechCrunch show this approach reduces latency by 30%.”
Step 4: End with the reader’s next step. “Try this fix today and see if your page load time drops.” Not “I hope you enjoyed my story.”
This process works because it shifts the focus from the author to the audience. The reader becomes the protagonist. You’re just the guide who hands them the map.
The Hidden Cost of Making Yourself the Star
Let’s talk about the cost. It’s not just about ego. When you make yourself the main subject, you limit your reach.
Think about it. If your article is about “my journey with Kubernetes,” only people who care about you will click. But if your article is about “How to reduce Kubernetes cluster costs by 40%,” anyone with a Kubernetes bill will click. That’s a much bigger audience.
There’s also the trust factor. Readers are skeptical of personal stories. They know your experience might be unique. But they trust data, frameworks, and step-by-step guides. When you remove yourself, you remove the skepticism.
I’ve found that the most successful tech bloggers are almost invisible. You don’t know their names. You don’t know their faces. But you know their content because it works. They’ve mastered the art of being a ghost.
A Final Thought: You’re Not the Hero, and That’s Okay
Here’s the truth that took me years to learn: Your readers don’t want to read about you. They want to read about themselves.
They want to see their own problems solved, their own questions answered, their own goals achieved. Your job is to be the vehicle for that transformation, not the destination.
So next time you sit down to write a tech article, ask yourself: “Am I the main character here? Or am I the guide?” If you’re the main character, rewrite it. If you’re the guide, you’re on the right track.
And if you’re still tempted to make it about you? Remember this: The best tech writing is invisible. The reader finishes the article feeling smarter, not like they just read someone’s diary. That’s the goal.
Now go write something that helps someone. And leave yourself out of it.