# Writing Closer to Thought Than Code

> Writing captures human intent better than code for AI projects.
- Title: Writing Closer to Thought Than Code · Danielmiessler
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: writing, ideal state artifact, isa, code, human intent, spec driven development, matt pocock, technology, startups, Closer, Thought, Danielmiessler
- Source: Danielmiessler — https://danielmiessler.com/blog/writing-is-closer-to-thought-than-code
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: writing, ai, ideal state artifact, isa, code, human intent, spec driven development, matt pocock, technology, startups
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Articulating what you want in writing creates a clearer foundation for AI projects than code alone.