---
id: "action-create-explanation-artifacts"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["00:10:03", "00:10:46"]
tags: ["documentation", "signaling", "career-strategy"]
related: ["concept-explanation-artifact", "framework-5-principles-ai-era"]
speakers: ["Nate B. Jones"]
action: "Create a structured document detailing trade-offs, discarded options, and blast radius for all AI-generated work."
outcome: "Provides undeniable proof to employers and peers that you actually understand the systems you are building."
sources: ["s14-job-market-reality"]
sourceVaultSlug: "s14-job-market-reality"
originDay: 14
---
# Write Explanation Artifacts for Every Project

## Action

For every piece of AI-assisted work you produce, create a structured, plain-English document that travels with it. This is the [[concept-explanation-artifact]].

## What to include

- **What** the code does, exactly.
- **Why** you chose this specific architectural path.
- **What alternatives** you considered and discarded, with reasons.
- **Where the system is fragile** (blast radius).
- **Where you overrode the AI's suggestions** and why.

## Hard rule

Do NOT use an LLM to write this for you. The artifact must be in your own voice to prove actual human comprehension. Generated 'slop' is detectable and defeats the purpose. See the warning attached to [[entity-claude-d14]].

## Why

In a world where the *output* is free (see [[claim-traditional-signaling-broken]]), the *explanation* is what proves expertise. The artifact becomes the new resume bullet — see [[concept-micro-job-transactions]] and [[claim-credentials-becoming-stale]].

## Strategic framing

This is principles #2 and #5 of [[framework-5-principles-ai-era]] in a single habit.

## Outcome

Provides undeniable proof to employers and peers that you actually understand the systems you are building.