In a recent LinkedIn post, John Cutler explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, writing, and behavior design, drawing from a conversation with Gene Kim. Cutler highlights how a custom writing tool developed by Kim, while not intended for everyone, serves as a powerful example of purpose-built design that fosters a specific writing style and environment. Cutler’s analysis focuses on how such tools can be infused with principles of behavior design to enhance the writing process.
The Power of Purpose-Built Tools
Cutler begins by recounting a discussion with Gene Kim at a conference, where they delved into AI, writing, and the tools that support it. Kim shared a personal writing tool he had been building, which immediately struck Cutler as a prime example of applying design principles to individual needs.
“The special thing about Gene’s self-made product was that without knowing it he had crafted something purpose-built to foster an environment condusive to HIS writing style (a great design principle).”
Cutler elaborates on this, explaining that Kim’s tool wasn’t just about generating text; it was fundamentally about shaping the user’s behavior. As Cutler notes, “He saw vibe-coding. I saw “this is an amazing piece of behavior design, human factors, task engineering, etc.””. This perspective frames Kim’s creation not merely as a writing assistant, but as an intricate system for influencing human action and cognitive processes.
Infusing Behavior Design with AI Data
A key element of Cutler’s analysis is the potential to integrate behavior design principles directly into AI-powered writing tools, leveraging the data these tools generate. He points out that Kim’s app functioned as a ‘coach of sorts,’ meticulously keeping logs of writing attempts and progress. This rich behavioral data, according to Cutler, presents a perfect opportunity to apply established behavior design frameworks.
Cutler shared a Miro board exercise, inspired by principles like COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior), to illustrate how behavior and interventions can be understood. While initially sharing a digital whiteboard, Cutler adapted his approach when he realized Kim’s preference for direct integration into his application.
“Skip the “get fired up” step. Your data shows motivation follows material.”
This quote, attributed to Kim’s insights derived from his tool’s data, encapsulates the practical application of behavior design. Cutler emphasizes that understanding one’s own behavioral patterns, such as accumulation thresholds, can lead to more effective writing strategies.
“You’ve done this enough that bucket sorting is habitual. Don’t over-accumulate — you know from data that 8K chars is your natural threshold.”
Collaboration and Shared Knowledge
Cutler is keen to downplay his own role in the exchange, stressing that his contribution was about effectively communicating sound design principles rather than inventing something novel. He frames the interaction as a collaborative effort, echoing a sentiment shared by Brenton Sellati.
“It is freaking nuts having the writing coach in my session.”
This reaction from Kim, as quoted by Cutler, underscores the immediate and profound impact of integrating such behavioral insights directly into the workflow. Cutler concludes by highlighting that even if the interaction wasn’t a real-time, multi-player collaboration, it exemplifies the power of people working together and sharing their expertise to create more effective and human-centered tools.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by John Cutler on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on April 12, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →