Learn in Public
Documenting and sharing your learning journey publicly, teaching others while you learn yourself.
Also known as: Learning in Public, Public Learning, Open Learning
Category: Learning & Education
Tags: learning, content-creation, personal-development, teaching, knowledge-sharing
Explanation
Learn in Public is a learning and content strategy where you share what you're learning as you learn it. Instead of waiting until you're an expert, you document your journey from beginner onwards, creating content that helps others at earlier stages.
**The Core Idea:**
You don't need to be an expert to teach. Someone one step ahead is often the best teacher for beginners because they remember the struggles, speak the language, and haven't forgotten what's confusing. Learning in public accelerates your own learning while building an audience.
**Why It Works:**
- **Teaching deepens learning** (Feynman Technique)
- **Public commitment increases follow-through**
- **Feedback accelerates improvement**
- **You attract others on the same journey**
- **Creates a searchable learning log**
- **Builds expertise reputation over time**
**What to Share:**
- What you learned today
- Summaries of books, courses, tutorials
- Mistakes and what they taught you
- Resources you found helpful
- Questions you're wrestling with
- Connections between ideas
**Formats:**
- Blog posts, Twitter threads
- YouTube tutorials, livestreams
- GitHub repos, code examples
- Newsletters, notes sites
- Podcasts, discussion groups
**Overcoming Fear:**
- You don't need to be right—you're learning
- Mistakes create teachable moments
- Imposter syndrome is normal; push through
- The audience is future you and people behind you
**Coined by:** Shawn Wang (@swyx) popularized this concept in the developer community.
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