Chris Murphy · 18 January, 2021
The details matter. Paying attention to spelling and grammar is so, so important. Before you hit 'Send' on an email or @reply someone on Twitter, double– and triple-check everything. As the old saying goes: You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
The details are not the details; they make the product. —Charles and Ray Eames
As Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, puts it: Obsess over emails. If you think people won’t notice your spelling mistakes or are aren’t bothered by them, by them – trust me – you're wrong.
Ohanian’s point – “…especially when I was asking for someone busier than me…” – is important. As he puts it: Details matter. Run a spell-checker over your email before hitting 'Send'. If you're dyslexic, or writing just isn't your strong point, ask a friend to do a read through.
The best way to capture issues with spelling and grammar is to read everything aloud. When you change the context - moving from reading inside to reading aloud – you notice mistakes.
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