Naval: Code is consumed by computers, writing by humans. So write it yourself
Naval argues that code is consumed by computers, which are forgiving, while writing is consumed by humans who need clarity and personal touch. Because of this difference, he recommends writing your own material rather than outsourcing it, as writing reflects your unique thinking and voice.
Background
- Naval Ravikant is a well-known Indian-American entrepreneur, angel investor, and philosopher whose essays and tweets on startups, wealth, and happiness are widely circulated in tech circles. He co-founded AngelList, a platform connecting startups and investors.
- This article comments on a distinction Naval draws: code is read and executed by machines, so precision and efficiency matter most; writing is read by humans, so clarity, personality, and authenticity matter most.
- The core point is that outsourcing your writing to AI (like ChatGPT) is like outsourcing your thinking — it produces generic, soulless output because the value of writing lies in expressing your unique perspective, not just conveying information.
- This debate has intensified since late 2022 with the rise of large language models (LLMs) that can generate fluent text, making it easy to offload writing. The piece argues this undermines the very purpose of writing as a tool for thinking and self-expression.