Learning is a lifelong journey, especially in the fast-paced world of technology. While many people consume content quietly, the concept of "learning in public" offers a powerful way to accelerate your growth as a developer. Inspired by Shawn Wang’s essay on Learning in Public, this post explores how sharing your learning process openly can transform your skills, network, and career.
What is Learning in Public?
Learning in public is about creating a habit of sharing what you learn as you learn it. Instead of keeping your progress private, you document your journey through blogs, tutorials, videos, or social media posts. This "learning exhaust" not only helps you solidify your knowledge but also benefits others who are on similar paths.
The key idea is to create the resources you wish you had when you started. Whether it’s a blog post explaining a tricky concept, a YouTube video walking through a coding challenge, or a Reddit thread answering a question, your contributions add value to the community while reinforcing your own understanding.
Why Learn in Public?
1. You Become Your Own Best Teacher
When you explain concepts to others, you’re forced to clarify your own understanding. Writing a blog post or recording a tutorial requires you to break down complex ideas into digestible pieces, which deepens your mastery. As Shawn Wang puts it, the biggest beneficiary of learning in public is future you. By documenting your progress, you create a personal knowledge base that you can revisit and build upon.
2. It’s Okay to Be Wrong
Learning in public means embracing vulnerability. You might make mistakes or share incomplete knowledge, but that’s part of the process. The internet will correct you, and that feedback is invaluable. As Wang advises, “Wear your noobyness on your sleeve.” When critics point out flaws, listen, learn, and improve. This iterative process helps you grow faster than learning in isolation.
3. You Build a Network of Mentors
When you share your work publicly, you attract the attention of experienced developers who notice your genuine curiosity. These individuals often become informal mentors, offering guidance and opportunities. Wang emphasizes, “Pick up what they put down.” When a senior engineer asks for help on a project, seize the chance to contribute. These interactions can lead to one-on-one mentorship that you can’t buy.
4. You Amplify Your Impact
By teaching others, you amplify the knowledge of those around you. As Wang notes, “By teaching you, they teach many.” Your beginner’s perspective is a unique asset—your questions and explanations resonate with others who are just starting out. Over time, people will seek you out for help, mistaking you for an expert. Answer to the best of your ability and lean on your mentors when you’re stuck.
5. Opportunities Follow Visibility
Shawn Wang shares the story of Chris Coyier, who built a massive audience through his site CSS-Tricks by consistently sharing what he learned. While Coyier and his peers started at similar skill levels, his willingness to teach publicly led to a successful career, including raising nearly $90,000 for a site redesign. Learning in public creates visibility, which can open doors to speaking engagements, job offers, and even paid opportunities.
How to Start Learning in Public
Ready to take the plunge? Here are practical ways to start learning in public today:
- Write Blogs or Tutorials: Share your coding journey on platforms like Medium or a personal blog. Write about a new framework you’re learning or a bug you solved.
- Create Videos or Streams: Record a YouTube video or Twitch stream walking through a project. Talking through your code helps you process and teaches others.
- Contribute to Open Source: Make pull requests to libraries you use or build your own small projects. Cloning a tool you admire from scratch can deepen your understanding.
- Engage on Public Forums: Answer questions on Stack Overflow or Reddit. Avoid private platforms like Slack or Discord—focus on public spaces where your contributions are discoverable.
- Summarize and Share: After attending a conference or workshop, write a summary of what you learned. This reinforces your knowledge and helps others who couldn’t attend.
- Build a Knowledge Base: Document your progress in a persistent format, like a personal wiki or GitHub repository. Over time, this becomes a valuable resource for you and others.
Overcoming the Fear of Learning in Public
Sharing your work can feel daunting. You might worry about being judged or making mistakes. But as Wang points out, discomfort is a sign you’re pushing yourself. Embrace the impostor syndrome—it means you’re growing. If someone criticizes you, ask for specific feedback and use it to improve. Block abusive comments and keep moving forward.
Learning in public isn’t just about immediate gains—it’s about building a reputation as a curious, collaborative developer. Over time, your contributions will compound. You’ll develop a portfolio of work, a network of supporters, and a deeper understanding of your craft. As Wang says, “Eventually, they’ll want to pay you for your help too. A lot more than you think.”
It's a mindset shift
Learning in public is a mindset shift that transforms how you approach your development journey. By sharing your knowledge, embracing feedback, and engaging with the community, you accelerate your growth and open doors to new opportunities. Start small—write a blog post, answer a question, or share a project. The key is to begin. As you learn in public, you’ll not only help yourself but also inspire others to do the same.
What’s one thing you’ve learned recently that you could share with the world? Start today, and let future you reap the rewards.
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