Ben Thompson's 'Write Things Down': Why GTD-Style Externalization Works for Humans and AI
timigod · x · 2026-09-09
Stratechery's Ben Thompson published "Write Things Down," building from David Allen's Getting Things Done: the mind's short-term memory works like PC RAM — limited capacity, constantly clogged by open loops that hijack focus — so everything should go into a trusted external system.
Thompson extends this classic productivity philosophy to the AI era: writing things down is powerful for humans and for AI alike; the real question is what to write, why, and actually getting things done.
The reposter highlighted the piece's discussion of anthropomorphism and how intent should be ascribed.
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