Learn In Public

Summary

In this video, Doug Neil introduces the concept of 'learning in public,' emphasizing the value of sharing your skill development journey online. By documenting your progress on platforms like social media and personal websites, you not only reinforce your skills but also build an audience, creating opportunities for collaboration, hiring, or sales. Doug argues against waiting for perfection before sharing, suggesting that doing so can help overcome fear, connect with others, and create a meaningful archive of your growth. The video provides strategies for confidently learning in public and taking actionable steps toward your goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 Learning in public means developing skills while simultaneously building an audience.
• 😀 Sharing your work and learning process online helps reinforce your skills and creates a personal archive for future reflection.
• 😀 Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are effective tools to document and share your learning journey.
• 😀 Learning in public allows you to connect with others, which could lead to collaborations, job opportunities, or sales once your skills mature.
• 😀 Waiting until your skills are 'good enough' to share can be a trap, especially for perfectionists.
• 😀 'Good enough' is a constantly moving target, and waiting to reach it can result in never sharing your work.
• 😀 Sharing your work in progress helps you build an authentic community and gain valuable feedback.
• 😀 Overcoming the fear of sharing early is key to personal growth and connecting with others who are interested in your journey.
• 😀 A strategy for learning in public can provide a clear path, making it easier to share your work confidently.
• 😀 Every day you wait to start sharing is a day you lose in the process of working on what you care about.
• 😀 Learning in public isn’t just about the destination; it’s about sharing the journey and connecting with others along the way.

Q & A

What does 'learning in public' mean?

'Learning in public' refers to the practice of documenting your skill development process online, sharing your progress and work openly with an audience on platforms like personal websites, social media, and other networks.

Why is it important to build an audience while learning new skills?

Building an audience while learning helps you connect with others who share similar interests, collaborate, find opportunities, and receive feedback, which can accelerate your learning process and open up opportunities for future collaborations or work.

What are the benefits of documenting your learning journey online?

Documenting your learning journey online helps reinforce the skills you're developing, creates a personal archive of your progress that you can reflect on, and enables you to connect with others who can offer support, feedback, or potential opportunities.

What role do social media platforms play in 'learning in public'?

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others allow you to share your learning process with a wider audience, which not only keeps you accountable but also enables you to engage with a community that can help you grow.

What is the danger of waiting until you're 'good enough' to share your work?

Waiting until you're 'good enough' can prevent you from ever sharing your work, as perfection is often an elusive target. Additionally, it misses out on opportunities to connect with others, get feedback, and collaborate, which could improve your skills faster.

Why might 'good enough' be an elusive target for some people?

'Good enough' is often subjective, and for perfectionists, it can feel like a moving goal that can never truly be reached. This mindset can paralyze you from sharing your work and may even lead to endless revisions without taking any action.

What is the impact of sharing your work before it’s perfect?

Sharing your work before it’s perfect can help you overcome perfectionism, foster community engagement, and allow you to receive valuable feedback that can help you improve more quickly. It also keeps you motivated by showing progress to others.

How can fear of sharing work in progress be overcome?

Fear of sharing work in progress can be overcome by developing a clear strategy for 'learning in public.' Understanding the benefits and having a plan behind your sharing can provide confidence and make the process feel less intimidating.

Why should you start sharing your work as soon as possible?

Starting to share your work early ensures you don’t miss out on valuable feedback, networking opportunities, and the chance to grow through public accountability. The sooner you start, the sooner you can begin learning from others and refining your skills.

What does the speaker hope to help viewers with in this project?

The speaker hopes to help viewers overcome their fear of sharing work in progress by providing tools and strategies for 'learning in public,' making it easier for them to document their learning journey with confidence and connect with others along the way.