7 min · +90 XP
Talk Instead of Type
Speak your request — no fast typing required.
By the end of this lesson
You'll be able to build by talking, not typing — huge if typing slows you down.
Here's what makes this real for everyone, especially if you're not a fast typer: you can talk instead of type — right now, on your own computer, straight into the terminal where Claude is running.
“Claude, build me a habit tracker: dark theme, a list of five habits, I tick each one off daily, and save everything on my device. Build the whole thing and tell me how to open it.”
Turn on dictation and speak
- 1Mac: press the dictation key, or tap the Fn (Globe) key twice. The very first time, macOS asks 'Enable Dictation?' — say yes. Then just talk, and it types for you.
- 2Windows: press the Windows key + H — then talk. (Needs a microphone; if nothing appears, search Settings for 'voice typing' and turn it on.)
- 3Dictation listens in your keyboard's language — switch the layout to speak another language.
- 4Speak the way you'd explain it to a friend. Messy is fine — Claude understands. When you're done: press Enter — dictation types your words but doesn't send them.
That's the dream — on the couch, telling your laptop what to build. It needs a one-time phone-to-computer setup, which we do in Module 10. For now, dictate right here on your computer.
If you're 50+, or just hate typing — talking removes the last bit of friction. You speak, Claude builds.
Author
Evgeny Arsentyev
PhD · Chief Product Officer at a healthtech company