Learning is a skill.
Here's a tactical approach to learning anything:
Here's a tactical approach to learning anything:
Ok, so you've been bit by the curiosity bug.
Now what?
Years of school didn't really prepare you for this. The "old way" of researching and learning is dead.
We need a "new way"—tailored to our new, digital reality.
This thread shares my framework for learning anything.
Now what?
Years of school didn't really prepare you for this. The "old way" of researching and learning is dead.
We need a "new way"—tailored to our new, digital reality.
This thread shares my framework for learning anything.
The learning framework involves six steps:
(1) Identify & Establish
(2) Research
(3) Skin in the Game
(4) Engage Community
(5) Teach
(6) Reflect & Review
The general structure is fixed, but its application is intended to be dynamic & iterative.
Let's walk through the steps...
(1) Identify & Establish
(2) Research
(3) Skin in the Game
(4) Engage Community
(5) Teach
(6) Reflect & Review
The general structure is fixed, but its application is intended to be dynamic & iterative.
Let's walk through the steps...
Identify & Establish
Identify the topic and write down everything you know about it.
Put the topic at the top of the page and drop in the extent of your current knowledge below it.
I use Notion—I like being able to pull in other links and resources—but anything works.
Identify the topic and write down everything you know about it.
Put the topic at the top of the page and drop in the extent of your current knowledge below it.
I use Notion—I like being able to pull in other links and resources—but anything works.
Paradoxically, starting by writing what you do know is the best way to highlight what you don't know.
This first action highlights all of the gaps in your knowledge and understanding of the topic.
The goal here is to set the stage—establish the holes before filling them.
This first action highlights all of the gaps in your knowledge and understanding of the topic.
The goal here is to set the stage—establish the holes before filling them.
Research
This is where the fun begins.
The most effective strategy for research: start horizontal, then go vertical.
Horizontal = Breadth
Vertical = Depth
I'll elaborate:
This is where the fun begins.
The most effective strategy for research: start horizontal, then go vertical.
Horizontal = Breadth
Vertical = Depth
I'll elaborate:
When you start horizontal, you gather information across the full breadth of the topic.
This gives you the capacity to "see the entire field”—it draws a surface-level map of the topic.
With horizontal research, keep it simple: Google and Wikipedia (gasp!) are both great tools.
This gives you the capacity to "see the entire field”—it draws a surface-level map of the topic.
With horizontal research, keep it simple: Google and Wikipedia (gasp!) are both great tools.
Use your note-taking workspace to document the horizontal information.
Note the underlying sources that provided the horizontal information (i.e. look at the Wikipedia footnotes), which come in handy as guideposts to focus your journey when you go vertical.
Note the underlying sources that provided the horizontal information (i.e. look at the Wikipedia footnotes), which come in handy as guideposts to focus your journey when you go vertical.
Vertical research was historically much more challenging—hours of finding and reading long, dense books on a topic.
But in the Information Age, we have a diverse array of tools that provide much higher time leverage.
Reddit
Twitter
Newsletters
Podcasts
Expert Networks
Books
But in the Information Age, we have a diverse array of tools that provide much higher time leverage.
Newsletters
Podcasts
Expert Networks
Books
A few notes on how to use each (which I will expand on in my newsletter):
Reddit: Search your topic, find subreddits and threads, read the commentary, click through to the links.
Twitter: Find the authority figures, read their writing or comments; DM them if you want more.
Reddit: Search your topic, find subreddits and threads, read the commentary, click through to the links.
Twitter: Find the authority figures, read their writing or comments; DM them if you want more.
Newsletters: Thought leaders on the topic are writing one, so read it. Also read what they are consuming (I use Faves for this).
Podcasts: Focus on primary sources (discussions with founders, leaders, etc.); listen on 1.25x or 1.5x speed to cut through. web.faves.media/signup.html?r=…
Podcasts: Focus on primary sources (discussions with founders, leaders, etc.); listen on 1.25x or 1.5x speed to cut through. web.faves.media/signup.html?r=…
Expert Networks: You can often get free trial periods or read/listen to expert call transcripts cost-effectively.
Books: Don't read the old way (cover to cover); find sections or chapters that grab you, dive in there.
These six vertical research tools will take you a long way.
Books: Don't read the old way (cover to cover); find sections or chapters that grab you, dive in there.
These six vertical research tools will take you a long way.
Skin in the Game
If you want to accelerate your learning curve, put some skin in the game.
Skin in the game raises the stakes of your learning. It is a behavioral trick to build deeper incentives.
"Skin" can be literal (money) or metaphorical (personal public commitment).
If you want to accelerate your learning curve, put some skin in the game.
Skin in the game raises the stakes of your learning. It is a behavioral trick to build deeper incentives.
"Skin" can be literal (money) or metaphorical (personal public commitment).
Want to learn more about a specific company? Buy a few shares of the stock.
Want to learn about Web 3.0? Buy an NFT, post it as your photo, join the Discord community.
Want to write an article on X? Commit to it publicly (I do this all the time to force myself to write!).
Want to learn about Web 3.0? Buy an NFT, post it as your photo, join the Discord community.
Want to write an article on X? Commit to it publicly (I do this all the time to force myself to write!).
In addition to raising the stakes, skin in the game gets you "in it" from a community perspective.
You'll never learn as much from the outside looking in. You need to get inside.
Skin in the game is your ticket to join the community.
Now that you're in, it's time to engage.
You'll never learn as much from the outside looking in. You need to get inside.
Skin in the game is your ticket to join the community.
Now that you're in, it's time to engage.
Engage Community
Learning is communal, not individual.
Engage with the community to accelerate learning.
As anyone who has ever learned a new language knows—immersion is an incredibly powerful force.
Two pieces of tactical advice:
(1) Talk to authorities
(2) Phone friends
Learning is communal, not individual.
Engage with the community to accelerate learning.
As anyone who has ever learned a new language knows—immersion is an incredibly powerful force.
Two pieces of tactical advice:
(1) Talk to authorities
(2) Phone friends
Find a few authorities on the topic—DM, email, call them, ask questions.
Call 3-5 friends and talk about what you are learning. They will ask questions that expose holes in your knowledge and point out opinions that will force you to think more deeply.
Community is the key.
Call 3-5 friends and talk about what you are learning. They will ask questions that expose holes in your knowledge and point out opinions that will force you to think more deeply.
Community is the key.
Teach
If you want to learn, teach.
The @ProfFeynman Technique:
Use simple language (no jargon or acronyms!) to explain what you've learned to a few people.
If you can't explain it to a 5-year-old, you probably don't understand it well enough (yet).
If you want to learn, teach.
The @ProfFeynman Technique:
Use simple language (no jargon or acronyms!) to explain what you've learned to a few people.
If you can't explain it to a 5-year-old, you probably don't understand it well enough (yet).
https://twitter.com/sahilbloom/status/1358108840198168576
Reflect & Review
The learning process is iterative and fluid.
Reflect on the gaps in your knowledge that were exposed—dive deeper to fill them in.
Review your note-taking workspace. Zoom out to get a full picture of your new learnings.
The learning process is iterative and fluid.
Reflect on the gaps in your knowledge that were exposed—dive deeper to fill them in.
Review your note-taking workspace. Zoom out to get a full picture of your new learnings.
To recap, my framework for learning anything:
(1) Identify & Establish
(2) Research
(3) Skin in the Game
(4) Engage Community
(5) Teach
(6) Reflect & Review
I will be expanding on this in a newsletter to be released soon. Subscribe so you don't miss it: sahilbloom.substack.com
(1) Identify & Establish
(2) Research
(3) Skin in the Game
(4) Engage Community
(5) Teach
(6) Reflect & Review
I will be expanding on this in a newsletter to be released soon. Subscribe so you don't miss it: sahilbloom.substack.com
Follow me @SahilBloom for threads on frameworks and more.
If you are a job seeker aiming to leverage improved learning skills in your career, check out my job board, where I curate roles at high-growth companies in finance and tech.
New roles every week! pallet.xyz/list/sahil/jobs
If you are a job seeker aiming to leverage improved learning skills in your career, check out my job board, where I curate roles at high-growth companies in finance and tech.
New roles every week! pallet.xyz/list/sahil/jobs
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