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The following excerpt is from Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s new book Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World.
When developing new ideas, most entrepreneurs work behind closed doors, revealing their products only when they’re polished and perfected. But what if there’s a more effective approach?
Learning in public —sharing ongoing progress, asking questions, and inviting feedback throughout the journey — can dramatically accelerate success.
Here’s how it works — starting with a lesson from the world of research.
A Radical Experiment in Mathematics
Tim Gowers is one of the most notable minds in mathematics, and back in 2009, he was trying to solve a complex combinatorial problem. Then he had a revelatory idea: Instead of working on this by himself, as mathematicians often do, he posted the problem on his blog — and invited his community to contribute ideas in the comments section.
In the next month or so, 27 mathematicians submitted more than 800 comments. As quantum physicist Michael Nielsen remarked in a talk he gave at the Carnegie Council: “That’s a lot of mathematics very quickly.”
Only 37 days after the blog post went up, Gowers announced that not only was the original problem solved, but that a harder mathematical problem that included the original as a special case had been solved as well. “This has been one of the most exciting six weeks of my mathematical life,” he said.
He went on to initiate several more projects like this on various unsolved problems, pioneering a model of transparent inquiry in his community and further establishing himself at the forefront of open and collaborative mathematics.
Gowers and other members of the open science movement embody a spirit of public exploration. Rather than shield their work until they can share a polished final product, they openly document the meandering process, missteps and all, and invite fellow explorers to join their quest.
What unites these scientists is the courage to learn in public. This act of radical transparency allows others to build on their embryonic ideas much faster and for everyone to grow together.
How to Use This In Business
The spirit of learning in public applies not just to mathematics. It applies to entrepreneurship too. When you become the scientist of your own life, sharing your experiments along the way provides fuel for your personal growth, leading to fresh discoveries and improving your rate of success.
In the summer of 2019, I launched Ness Labs, a platform focused on mindful productivity. By then, the open science movement had already begun making waves beyond academia. Founders were gathering around the open startup movement, a group of companies embracing transparency by sharing their progress and insights with everyone. Some simply shared screenshots of their latest metrics, while others built live dashboards and published blog posts with all the lessons they learned on their entrepreneurial journey.
I was inspired by the energy and generosity of this community, and I decided that I would learn in public — openly sharing my progress as I grew both Ness Labs as a business and myself as a researcher and entrepreneur.
The open startup movement was in its infancy and there was no step-by-step manual to follow, but I shared early drafts and milestones and asked a lot of questions. What tool was best for managing a newsletter? Where should I promote my articles? How could I optimize my website for search engines? I experimented with the recommendations I received and then shared the results, creating a public cycle of experimentation anyone was welcome to join.
5 Advantages to Learning In Public
Learning in public unlocks powerful mechanisms to support your personal and professional growth:
1. Get early feedback. Sharing your work in public ensures that what you are working on answering an actual need and allows you to take a more iterative approach.
2. Increase your creativity. By publishing your work in progress, you will increase the likelihood that you will connect the dots between your ideas and other people’s ideas.
3. Clarify your thinking. Instead of just plowing through work, you will be nudged to think about your strategy and execution in a deeper way— another opportunity to practice metacognition
4. Build your network. Learning in public is a great way to connect with people who are interested in a similar space. It may result in finding a mentor or lead to partnerships.
5. Learn faster. By documenting your progress openly, including your challenges and questions, you can connect with others who have expertise and can suggest resources to build your skills more efficiently.
Instead of flexing your expertise, flex your curiosity. Start small and grow at your own pace. As Anaïs Nin said, there will be a day when the risk to remain tight in a bud will feel more painful than the risk it takes to blossom.
This essay was excerpted from Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s new book Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World.
