Thread by @SahilBloom

The Feynman Technique is a foundational mental model for unlocking growth in your career, startup, business, or writing.

A thread on how it works and how it can change your life...

Richard Feynman was an American theoretical physicist.

He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his groundbreaking work in quantum electrodynamics.

Feynman's true genius, however, was in his ability to convey extremely complex ideas in simple, digestible ways.

Richard Feynman observed that complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.

The Feynman Technique is a learning framework that forces you to strip away needless complexity and develop a deep, elegant understanding of a given topic.

The Feynman Technique involves four key steps:

(1) Identify
(2) ELI5 ("Explain It To Me Like I'm 5")
(3) Reflect & Study
(4) Organize, Convey & Review

Let's cover each step and how you can make this powerful framework work for you...

Step 1: Identify

What is the topic you want to learn more about?

Identify the topic and write down everything you know about it.

Read and research the topic and write down all of your new learnings (and the sources of each).

This first step sets the stage for what is to come.

Step 2: ELI5

Attempt to explain the topic to a child.

Once again, write down everything you know about your topic, but this time, pretend you are explaining it to a child.

Use simple language and terms.

Focus on brevity.

Step 3: Reflect & Study

Reflect on your performance in Step 2.

How well were you able to explain the topic to a child? Where did you get frustrated? Where did you resort to jargon or get stuck?

These are the gaps in your understanding.

Read and study to fill them.

Step 4: Organize, Convey & Review

Organize your elegant, simple language into a compelling story or narrative.

Convey it to others. Test-and-learn. Iterate and refine your story or narrative accordingly.

Review (and respect) your new, deeper understanding of the topic.

The Feynman Technique is an incredible framework for unlocking growth.

The best entrepreneurs, writers, thinkers, and operators have leveraged this technique (directly or indirectly).

They share a common genius - the ability to convey complex ideas in simple, digestible ways.

It is easy to overcomplicate and intimidate. We all know the people - teachers, peers, bosses - who try to do this.

Do not be fooled - complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.

Remember The Feynman Technique. Find beauty in simplicity.

The Feynman Technique is a foundational mental model and learning framework.

For five more powerful mental models, see my thread below.

https://twitter.com/SahilBloom/status/1350958537774690311?s=20

A few additional resources for more learning on the Feynman Technique:

@ProfFeynman on Twitter

https://twitter.com/ProfFeynman/status/1279123916372365312?s=20

The Feynman Technique by @ShaneAParrish: fs.blog/2012/04/feynma…

@Inc Article: inc.com/jessica-stillm…

If you enjoyed this, follow me for more educational threads on business, money, finance, and economics. You can find all of my threads in the meta-thread below.

https://twitter.com/SahilBloom/status/1284583099775324161?s=20

And if you are less Twitter inclined, sign up for my newsletter here, where you can find all of my old threads and receive all of my new threads directly to your inbox. sahilbloom.substack.com

FAQ: Yes, The Feynman Technique is essential in my writing process.

My aim - demystifying business and finance concepts so that they are accessible to anyone - requires a Feynman-like process.

It also forces me to build my understanding and learn alongside you.

A true win-win!

@JamesClear touches on the underlying spirit of The Feynman Technique - to learn through action - in this tweet. If you aren’t following @JamesClear or subscribed to his weekly newsletter, you are really missing out.

https://twitter.com/JamesClear/status/1358768519362588674

Twitter is amazing. One of my incredible followers created a @NotionHQ template to help you leverage The Feynman Technique in your learning process.

Check it out below.

Special thanks to @jakejaybee for taking the time to do this! notion.so/The-Feynman-Te…