Say HI: the growing blindspot in AI-driven startups

I've been surprised recently how often I see startup "team" pages showing only rows of engineers. Not a single non-technical role in sight.

I get the reasoning: if AI can write, analyse customer feedback and accelerate other messy bits of startup work, why bother with non-technical colleagues?

But here's the problem: human language without Human Intelligence (HI) is a dangerous doppelgänger of the real work.

"Good enough" code executes and works. But "good enough" writing rarely does. LLMs appear excellent, because they are made of language and grammatically bound. That is not the same thing as it being true, effective and differentiating.

LLMs make choices with just enough randomness. Really commercially effective written work comes from greater and more flexible scope, which talented, experienced humans excel at.

If you wouldn't expect a non-technical person to review your AI-generated code, why make a technical person the authority on your AI-generated writing.

This matters most in key moments:

Your problem statement defines what you build. Ambiguous language creates ambiguous products.

Your product specification translates vision into reality. Imprecise language yields imprecise execution.

Your fundraising deck, your website, all your copy should give differentiation. Generic work leads below-generic valuation in investors and customers.

Code is about careful choice of function. Language is about careful choice of meaning.

Some rare founders genuinely possess both technical and non-technical talent. But many more take advantage of human strengths to build teams that complement and broaden their strength and potential.

Smart non-technical people are realising AI can be their secret weapon. But the wisest technical leaders will remember that Human Intelligence is always the real secret to success.