How to Learn Anything
As an entrepreneur, I have to learn a lot of new things fast.
School and uni didn't do a very good job of teaching how to learn.
So, this is my mental model for learning anything for the first time.
Step 1:
First Principles
Strip the skill/resource material to extreme first principles. Find the foundational truth - something that is irrefutable no matter the perspective.
Eg - What is the primary purpose of a business?
Ans - To solve a problem.
Extreme first principles.
Step 2:
Bow down to greatness.
Find the best literature on the subject. It could be classic books/journals/research papers/YT videos/courses/LLMs.- whatever is most accessible. Don't sacrifice on quality.
Never learn from people who don't have mastery over their craft. You would just be wasting time.
Step 3:
Learn -> Absorb -> Execute
Don't be stuck in tutorial hell. Extract first principles, learn from the masters and execute relentlessly. That's where true learning happens. You learn by doing.
Step 4 :
Iterative Excellence
Excellence comes with iteration. You will suck the 1st time, maybe the 2nd, maybe the 100th. But you gotta remember, with every iteration, you get one step closer to mastery.
It is extreme devotion that keeps you going. Every rep matters.
Step 5 :
It never REALLY ends
Once you achieve mastery, you still need to update your knowledge base frequently. However, that is much easier to do than to learn something from scratch.
Technology in the present is the worst it'll ever be. There will be new developments and discoveries often.
The thirst for knowledge should only end when you do.
-fin