✍️ AI writing apps

I hope you’re doing great this weekend. I’ve been mulling over a topic that’s close to my heart—how the act of writing is evolving in this crazy AI age. I recently had a fascinating chat with Stew, the founder of Type.ai, and I can’t wait to share the insights with you.

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The AI writing landscape has exploded recently, transforming how we approach the written word.

On one end, marketing powerhouses like Jasper and Copy.AI churn out quick copy, while Grammarly remains our trusted companion for grammar polishing. ChatGPT and similar general-purpose models excel at brainstorming but sometimes miss that human touch. In academia, Jenni AI has found its groove, helping students and researchers manage citations and research effectively.

AI writing tools typically fall into three distinct categories:

Incumbent doc editors with AI features: Google Docs, Notion, and Word now enhance their traditional editors with AI capabilities like rewrite, summarize, and writing copilot features—think of your familiar word processor with AI superpowers.

AI native writing tools: Platforms like Jenni AI, Type.ai, and Jasper were built with AI at their core. Each serves a specific niche—Jenni AI for students, Type AI for serious writers, and Jasper for enterprise marketing needs.

General purpose AI tools: ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Claude provide chat-based writing support. While powerful, they lack the specialized features found in dedicated writing tools.

Type.ai: An Insider’s Look

I recently sat down with Stew from Type.ai to peek behind the curtain of this innovative writing tool.

Founding story

A lifelong entrepreneur with a passion for weekend writing, Stew tried every available tool—from basic note-taking apps to various document editors. While these tools excelled at organizing knowledge and enabling collaboration, none addressed the real challenge: generating fresh, creative ideas and finding the right words to express them. His eureka moment came when he first experienced GPT-3.

This revelation sparked Type. Instead of creating another generic content generator, Stew envisioned a tool that seamlessly blended a familiar document editor with sophisticated AI assistance—perfect for dedicated writers who want to remain deeply involved in the writing process.

How Type.ai Stands Out

Type positions itself as the premier writing tool for serious writers—people who write extensively throughout their week. It offers three key advantages:

• Deep Integration: No clunky add-ons here. Type’s AI writing and editing features deeply integrate with a familiar document interface. Simply highlight text, click “Improve,” and receive personalized suggestions right inside your draft.

• Empowering Your Creativity: Rather than writing for you, Type focuses mostly on helping with the ideation and editing process. As Stew explains, “Your personal trainer can’t do your workouts for you, nor should your AI do all of your writing for you. We’re here to enhance your creativity, not replace it.”

• Quality Over Quantity: While competitors focus on output volume, Type.ai prioritizes meaningful, context-aware suggestions. This makes it ideal for editing and refining pieces of writing until they fit your authentic voice.

Their diverse user base includes unexpected adopters—from Catholic priests refining weekly sermons to college professors crafting lectures and content marketers creating engaging copy. The common thread? Writing forms a crucial part of their daily routine.

Growth Strategies and Market Realities

Stew shared valuable insights about navigating the competitive AI writing space. Type.ai launched as an ”AI document editor,” carving out a distinct niche from general content generators.

This strategic positioning, combined with well-timed exposure through Twitter demos and a Product Hunt launch during the GPT-3 boom, helped build a waitlist and attract over 120,000 free users. Personal recommendations drive about 20% of new signups.

While acknowledging that giants like Google Docs and Notion are adding AI features, Stew notes they lack the specialized writing experience professionals need. General-purpose models, though powerful, often miss the mark on depth. This creates an opportunity for specialized tools like Type.ai—though capturing this market presents its own challenges.

The platform walks a fine line between flexibility and specialization, aiming to serve everyone from legal writers to novelists. While this broad appeal makes targeted marketing challenging, the focus remains on helping writers who value quality and authenticity.

The Road Ahead

Looking forward, Type.ai plans to enhance its contextual understanding—improving its ability to learn an individual’s writing style and improve at subtler elements of good writing, like humor. The future focuses on developing smarter, personalized editing suggestions that feel like a natural extension of your writing process.

Have you experimented with any AI writing tools that changed your workflow? What do you think about the idea of having an AI as your creative partner? Would love to hear what you think!

Cheers,

Leo

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