The first 20 hours -- how to learn anything | Josh Kaufman | TEDxCSU
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN uses it as the standard counterpoint to the 10,000-hour rule and as an encouraging recipe for starting new skills.
What it is
Josh Kaufman's TEDx talk argues that you can reach practical competence in almost any skill with about 20 hours of focused practice, rather than the 10,000 hours often quoted. He describes how becoming a parent led him to rethink how adults learn, and lays out a short method for rapid skill acquisition.
Recommended by 5 HN commenters across 6 different months, 2014 to 2024.
What Hacker News said
Recommends Freeboots · 2014-08 · on “The 1,000-hour rule (2009)”
How about 20 hours? [this video] The 10k hours thing is based on how long it took athletes to become the very top of their field. The very top of their highly specific, highly competitive field. It doesnt even mean becoming an 'expert' (whatever that means), let alone just being good at it. Anyway, check the TED Talk above, 20 hours to proficiency.
Recommends kriro · 2015-12 · on “The 100-Hour Rule”
Reminds me of the book "The First 20 Hours" by Josh Kaufman. He gives examples of skills that you can learn fairly well in 20 hours. One of them is programming. I have some issues with the book but overall it's a fun read. Here's a TED talk he gave which lead me to buy the book: [this video]
Recommends kriro · 2016-06 · on “One Click to Be Pro: my list of the best resources for mastering a subject”
It might be a good idea to add a meta section with resources on learning to learn. Books would be stuff like "Pragmatic Thinking and Learning", "The first 20 hours", "The Talent Code", "Inner Game of Tennis" etc. Link to a cool TED-talk (20 hours): [this video] :)
Recommends Edmar · 2019-08 · on “Try Micromastery”
A while ago I saw this video: [this video] is about "The first 20 hours" and there is a book as well. It's surprising how much could you can learn in just 20 hours. You can't be an expert by doing so little but you can learn some tricks for fun.
Recommends vrajeshkanna · 2022-08 · on “Ask HN: I want to be an expert in many things but my lifetime won't be enough”
The first 20 hours -- how to learn anything by Josh Kaufman - [this video] You can be a top 10% in any given field with this. 20 hrs is worth the effort on skills you want to learn. My personal advice - Learn only if you put that skill into use immediatly for your good or for the greater good of the society around you. Growth for the sake of growth is the mindset of a virus
Recommends santi_panti · 2023-01 · on “Ask HN: What are your best tips for quickly getting better at video games?”
I remember watching a video about learning a skill in 20 hours. The topic boils down to 4 points that seems fairly straight forward. I can't do it good justice myself so here is a link to those 4 points: [LINK] And here is the video itself: [this video]
Cites joshkaufman · 2014-03 · on “Can 10,000 hours of practice make you an expert?”
I recently wrote a book on this topic[1][2], and you're quite right - most people seem to get wrapped up in the status that surrounds the idea of expertise when the real value of this research is what it tells us about how to go about acquiring new skills for personal or professional use. As you mentioned, practicing to the point of enjoying the skill is the most effective strategy. If you can reach the point where practicing is fun, you're much more likely to continue leveling up. Adult learners typically find the first few hours of practicing a new skill extremely frustrating, and a very low percentage will complete even 2-3 hours of deliberate practice if the skill is complex, ambiguous,
Cites tinco · 2016-02 · on “Men Are Better at Maps Until Women Take This Course”
I'm not an expert, but I researched this once. You can train any particular question that's asked at an IQ test, but someone can always think of new IQ test questions that you will fail if you're not smart enough (i.e. your brain adapts to new problems fast enough). There is a training program (I forgot the name) that trains you at solving IQ test problems sort of in general but it's unclear if it just trains people at solving the sort of questions that IQ test people tend to think of. The way I understand it the most reliable way of training for plasticity if it is possible at all is to learn as many different things as you can. That means: Learn to program, learn a language with a differen