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LEADERSHIP LAB: Writing Beyond the Academy 1.23.15

UChicago Social Sciences · lecture · Watch on YouTube

Literature & writing craftEducation & learningProductivity & self-improvement

What it is

Larry McEnerney of the University of Chicago Writing Program argues that good writing is defined by what readers value, not by rules or the writer's own ideas. He explains why academic habits fail outside academia and how to write so readers find the work valuable.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN treats it as the definitive writing lecture and recommends it repeatedly, with several commenters saying it changed how they write.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 6 different months
  • 3 strong recommendations
  • first 2020, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “My favorite writing lecture is this one”

    Favorite writing lecture: know your readers and what they value.

    gnuvince, 2022-01 · Strong recommendation · in “Write Like You Code”

  2. “my absolute favorite resource is LEADERSHIP LAB: Writing Beyond the Academy [1].”

    Unlearns bad schooling writing habits; watched 4-5 times.

    thundergolfer, 2022-10 · Strong recommendation · in “How to communicate effectively as a developer”

  3. “This is clearer, more indepth, and longer”

    Clearer, deeper writing lecture that motivated the commenter to change.

    voortuckian, 2020-07 · Recommendation · in “How to write technical posts so people will read them (2019)”

  4. “making writing valuable is another skill (see this evergreen lecture from the university of chicago leadership lab”

    Evergreen lecture on making writing valuable.

    motohagiography, 2025-07 · Recommendation · in “Writing is thinking”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: writing, readers, academic writing, communication, clarity

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