I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
How I like to write with AI
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Hey Reader, In last week's issue on how AI fixes what I won't, I touched on how AI transcription is getting so good that I talk more than I type these days. Today I want to go deeper on my actual writing process with AI. My three-tool setupWhen I'm writing anything substantial, I open the same three tools every time:
Then I start talking instead of typing. I use speech-to-text software—I share the exact tools I use below. The back-and-forth processOnce I have a transcript of my thoughts, I drop it into Claude and ask three questions:
This starts a conversation. I'll go back and forth with Claude, refining ideas and tightening the message. Sometimes I'll ask it to rewrite sections more like me—and surprisingly, it often sounds like me but better. Research with real examplesWhen I need specific examples, I switch to NotebookLM. I've loaded it with our database of 100 creator stories from interviews with actual Kit customers. I can ask for five creators who illustrate this point and get back real examples with citations. This saves me from having to remember every story or ask my team if they know good examples. Why speech beats typingAI transcription has been a game changer. I was using superwhisper but kept running into bugs where it wouldn't capture about 25% of transcripts. Wispr Flow has been much more reliable (and I like how I can just hold down the Function key and speak). I'm working on training myself out of the typing habit entirely. I still often catch myself halfway through typing a sentence and think, "I could have spoken this in half the time…" The rule I follow: if you already know what you want to say, speaking is faster than typing. If you need to think through an idea, sometimes taking your time to type it can still make sense. But I'm so committed to this now that I'll even transcribe five-word messages. The time saved adds up. Using AI as a writing partnerWhat I really like is using AI as a thought partner and editor. It helps me see blind spots in my arguments and improves my writing without losing my voice. The key distinction: I use AI to improve my content and help me think through ideas more clearly. The ideas start with me. The examples come from real experiences. AI just helps me express those ideas better and spot gaps in my thinking. The goal isn't to let AI do the thinking (though I do often ask it for ideas on how to improve a piece)—it’s mainly to free up my mental energy for the parts that matter most. If you're creating content regularly, consider switching from typing to talking. The efficiency gain is real, and with good AI tools, the quality improves significantly. PODCASTPersonal Branding Masterclass: How Chris Donnelly Made $10M+ On LinkedInChris Donnelly built a $10M business with no sales team and zero ad spend, all by leaning into content. In this episode, we get into how he grew to over 1M LinkedIn followers in two years, built a publishing system that scales, and turned his personal brand into a serious advantage. He also shares how he runs high-ticket cohorts and converts attention into long-term income. We cover:
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Capture leads directly from your existing Linktree setup. If you're already using Linktree for your link in bio, this integration makes lead collection seamless. View Linktree app on the Kit App Store Don't have an account yet? BOOKHard Lessons from the Hurt Business: Boxing and the Art of LifeEd Latimore has lived four different lives. Kit featured his incredible story back in 2020—from surviving Pittsburgh's housing projects to becoming a pro boxer, then building a creator business while earning a physics degree at 33. His new book—which just released today—is basically a manual for anyone who feels stuck or one bad decision away from rock bottom. Ed shares the ways boxing taught him to turn pain into purpose and rebuild his entire life as well as how:
If you're dealing with chaos in any form, give this book a read. Have a great week! —Nathan |
Nathan Barry
I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
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