Living in a Post-code World

Hello, and happy Sunday! Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up to get it in your inbox.

Knowledge base

"I've Stopped Writing Prompts—DSPy Does It Better" by Michael Taylor/Also True for Humans: Columnist Michael Taylor identifies as a prompt engineer—only he doesn’t write prompts anymore. He’s abandoned manual prompting in favor of DSPy, a severely underhyped tool that automatically optimizes prompts better than most humans can. Read this if you want to level up your AI game and save yourself days of prompt-tweaking frustration. 🖥 To see DSPy in action, check out the video tutorial at bottom of the article.

"Cognition’s CEO on What Comes After Code" by Rhea Purohit/AI & I: Scott Wu, CEO of Cognition, which makes the autonomous coding agent Devin, has seen the future—and it looks a lot like Tony Stark chatting with J.A.R.V.I.S. In this episode of AI & I, Dan Shipper talks with Wu about why we might soon stop writing code altogether and instead just explain what we want in plain English. 🎧 🖥 Watch the full interview on X or YouTube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

"I Fed My Essays to ChatGPT Until It Learned My Voice" by Katie Parrott/Working Overtime: Katie Parrott built an AI “writing brain” that enforces her standards and amplifies her voice. She fed her best essays into ChatGPT, created a style guide documenting her patterns, and now uses this personalized system for everything from brainstorming to final revisions. Read this for a practical guide to building a writing partner that makes you a better writer.

"You're Probably Using AI Wrong" by Rhea Purohit/Learning Curve: Rhea Purohit discovered that when she tried to use AI to write faster, she hated the results. Then she reframed her approach. Instead of chasing productivity, she started using AI to maximize meaning in her work. Read this if you want more from your writing output than just efficiency.

"Every's Master Plan: Part II" by Dan Shipper/Chain of Thought: Dan shares an update on where the company stands ($1.2 million ARR business, 15 employees, under $2 million raised) and what’s coming next. The secret is an AI-native approach where everyone is a generalist who both writes and builds. Read this to understand how AI has enabled an entirely new business model that blurs traditional boundaries between media, software, and services.

Alignment

A cure for cynicism. Scientists reported this week that they have managed to alter genes in the brains of people suffering from Huntington's disease. Huntington’s is a particularly cruel genetic disorder that destroys brain cells and cuts life expectancy by 10-15 years. Even more devastating is the way the disease is passed down: Each child born to someone with Huntington's faces a 50-50 chance of inheriting the condition—a genetic coin flip that makes having children an agonizing decision. The new treatment slows progression of the disease by up to 75 percent.

This is a beautiful testament to the power of science, and we’re not short of good science happening all around us. Whether it’s CRISPR gene editing, 3D-printed organs, or a vast array of other emerging treatments and inventions, to steal Derek Thompson’s and Ezra Klein’s phrase, we're living in an age of “medical abundance.”

There’s a decent chance you didn't hear about the Huntington’s news. Instead, your social feed may have been filled with debunked ideas about how Tylenol causes autism, or that seed oils are the secret poison killing us all, or whatever half-baked health panic is trending. Carl Sagan warned us about this exact moment—when we'd become so sophisticated we'd forget what sophistication brought us.

But even in times when the discourse seems dark and cynical, science keeps beating the drum of progress. Based on nothing more than curiosity, experimentation, and the deliberate demonstration of facts, science doesn’t care what algorithmically amplified content is clogging our feeds. As long as people dedicate their time to finding truth, progress will continue. Right now it is alive and well in operating rooms and laboratories, field sites and workshops across the world. The real cure for cynicism is simply paying attention to what matters, and what is true.—Ashwin Sharma

That’s all for this week! Be sure to follow Every on X at @every and on LinkedIn.

We build AI tools for readers like you. Write brilliantly with Spiral. Organize files automatically with Sparkle. Deliver yourself from email with Cora. Dictate effortlessly with Monologue.

We also do AI training, adoption, and innovation for companies. Work with us to bring AI into your organization.

Get paid for sharing Every with your friends. Join our referral program.