Learned the hard way that a six-paragraph Slack message gets ignored, short is a skill

Early on I'd write these thorough, carefully-worded messages explaining every bit of context, then watch them get zero replies. Meanwhile a senior would drop two lines and get an answer inside a minute.

What finally clicked: lead with the ask, put the context underneath for whoever needs it, and one message should make one point. My reply rate went up dramatically once I stopped writing essays. Nobody really teaches this, but it might be the highest-leverage communication skill I've picked up.