In a recent conversation with David Perell1, investor Chamath Palihapitiya talked about his perspective on what makes good writing good. His argument was that good writing should make it clear when something is fact or opinion.

The conversation touches on the importance of demarcating objectivity and subjectivity in writing. The value of being able to separate facts from interpretations makes writing reliable and credible.

In terms of the structure of good writing, Chamath highlighted the significance of having a clear point and ensuring that the writing is useful in some way. If someone takes the time to read what you have to say then it’s on you to craft a conclusion that leaves them feeling the article was time well spent. The easiest way to do this is to make your ideas usable by the end of your piece. And the longer an article is the more useful it needs to be.

In terms of improving writing, Chamath advice is to start punchy and end useful. Rely on as much data as possible in your writing but don’t forget to demarcate which bits are fact and what is interpretation. Making this distinction clear is what makes trustworthy, engaging, and impactful writing.