Marcus Thorne
Berlin, Germany

Marcus Thorne

Technical Content Writer

Technical DocumentationAI/ML ExplainersDeveloper ContentAPI DocumentationData-Driven Analysis

About Marcus

I came to writing sideways. I started as a backend developer in London, building APIs and debugging database queries. I was decent at it, but I kept getting pulled into writing documentation because nobody else wanted to, and I was apparently the only engineer who could explain things without making people's eyes glaze over.

After five years of coding, I made the switch to full-time technical writing. Best career decision I ever made. I moved to Berlin for a startup that eventually folded, then freelanced for two years writing about AI and developer tools.

That's how I found rwrt. What drew me in was the technical challenge: how do you build a system that preserves something as subjective and messy as personal voice? It's a harder problem than most people realize, and writing about it never gets boring. Outside of work, I build mechanical keyboards (yes, it's a whole thing), coach a youth football team on weekends, and have a borderline unhealthy relationship with dark roast coffee.

Writing Philosophy

Technical writing is a translation job. You're taking something complex and making it accessible without losing accuracy. If a reader has to Google a term you used, you didn't do your job.

Fun Facts

  • Built 14 custom mechanical keyboards (and counting)
  • Coaches U-12 football in Kreuzberg every Saturday
  • Can explain transformer architecture using only food metaphors

In Marcus's Words

I write like an engineer: clear, structured, no fluff. But I've learned that 'clear' doesn't have to mean 'cold.' The best technical content has personality. You can explain perplexity scoring without putting people to sleep.

Articles by Marcus34

How To Write for Stupid People
7 min read

How To Write for Stupid People

Smart people write poorly because complexity signals intelligence. Learn why writing simply is a superpower and practical techniques to simplify without dumbing down.