I Tried Learning in Public for 30 Days — the 3 Things That Actually Worked
A month ago I decided to learn in public. The idea is simple: instead of studying quietly and showing people a finished project at the end, you post what you are learning every day, mistakes included, while you are still bad at it. I picked Python automation, a topic I knew almost nothing about, and posted one short update every day for 30 days. A screenshot, two or three sentences about what I…
In a 30-day experiment, the author tried "learning in public" by sharing their progress on Python automation daily. The approach involved posting a screenshot of code, a few sentences about the activity, and one error encountered. The author aimed to improve consistency and receive feedback from knowledgeable individuals. Three key takeaways emerged from the experience.
First, strangers quickly corrected the author's mistakes, significantly enhancing their learning process. Second, maintaining a streak of daily posts helped the author stay consistent, even on challenging days. Third, the author's learning journey evolved into a portfolio showcasing their growth, which aided them in securing a part-time support role interview.
Despite the positive outcomes, the author identified three areas that did not work as intended. First, the engagement through likes and comments was limited, with only a handful of corrections received throughout the month. Second, the time investment of 20 minutes daily for posting and answering comments was significant. Lastly, the pressure to present appealing code may have led the author to choose easier topics, deviating from the true learning experience.
The author provides a concise routine for those interested in trying "learning in public": write down what was tried, what worked, and what went wrong, accompanied by a cropped screenshot of the code, and post it at the end of the day. A brief weekly review of progress also proved beneficial. While a month may not suffice for mastering a skill, the author concludes that the experience was worthwhile and would consider repeating the experiment differently.
They suggest posting three times a week instead of daily to save time and emphasize the importance of the Sunday review in tracking progress. The author emphasizes that the three successful elements—fast corrections from experts, maintaining consistency through a streak, and the automatic creation of a portfolio—should be prioritized, while other aspects can be optimized for better results.
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