Mastering the Art of Learning

Over the past three years in the Submarine service, I've conducted more than 300 interviews, meeting someone new every 3-4 days to assess their fit for an early-stage startup. In each interview, I love ending with an open-ended question that really lets great candidates shine. One of my favorites—now retired, in true Thielian fashion—was:

“What’s something you’ve learned that you believe gives you an edge—something you’re surprised more people don’t know about?”

One of the most memorable responses was:

“When starting something new, the most important thing is knowing what to learn.”

This response led to an insightful breakdown of an optimal learning process:

1. Quickly identify the foundational knowledge: Get a clear sense of the core principles you need to master.

2. Build a personal curriculum: Become an expert while avoiding the trap of being an “expert beginner”—someone who has superficial knowledge but lacks depth.

3. Sprint through the first 15-20 hours: Impress initial memory hard with dedicated effort, then decelerate into a sustainable, regular learning pace.

While steps #1 and #2 are commonly recognized approaches to learning, step #3 offers a novel twist on spaced repetition. The broader insight, though, is this: most people haven’t updated their mental model for learning in years. Take a moment to think about the last time you actively rethought how you learn.

Learning to learn is an incredibly high-leverage skill. Consider this: 40 hours at 25% efficiency is equivalent to 12.5 hours at 80% efficiency. Imagine what you could accomplish by working smarter, not just harder.

At its core, being productively honest with yourself—about what you know and what you don’t—is not only effective but one of the kindest things you can do for your personal growth.