From Danielmiessler · · 2m
Writing Closer to Thought Than Code
Writing captures human intent better than code for AI projects.
In brief
Writing captures human intent better than code for AI projects. Articulating what you want in writing creates a clearer foundation for AI projects than code alone. Originally reported by Danielmiessler.
Writing vs Code
Writing captures human thought better than code for AI projects.
Matt Pocock's View
Matt Pocock believes code is the source of truth for development projects.
The Core Argument
Articulating what you want in writing is more important than code for AI projects.
Writer's Blindness
Writer's blindness is when you think you capture your brain's content perfectly but don't.
Code as Representation
Code is an execution, not the source of truth, like a painting is an abstraction of what the painter wanted.
Accuracy vs Precision
Accuracy beats precision when building with AI: shots around the bullseye matter more than tight clusters.
Ideal State Artifact
The Ideal State Artifact (ISA) is a document capturing what you want to build in writing.
ISA Components
The ISA includes the ideal state, constraints, decisions, and ideal state criteria.
Owl Example
The owl example shows how writing clarifies the target before implementation.
Studio Booking
The studio booking example shows how writing prevents implementation errors.
Kitchen Remodel
The kitchen remodel example shows how writing clarifies the target before construction.
Two Loops
The ISA creates two loops: intent and writing shape each other, and implementation checks against writing.
Why This Matters
As AI gets smarter, writing becomes even more critical for capturing human intent.
Matt's Position
Matt Pocock argues code is the source of truth for development projects.
The Bitter Lesson
The smarter AI gets, the more it will do exactly what we want without errors.
The Solution
Using writing to articulate intent creates a clearer foundation for AI projects than code.
The short version
Articulating what you want in writing creates a clearer foundation for AI projects than code alone.
