Explanation Effect: Why You Should Always Teach What You Learn

Explanation Effect: Why You Should Always Teach What You Learn

It is peculiar irony in life that the fastest and best way to learn something is to give it to others as soon as you learn it — not to hog it yourself. Knowledge wants to be free. To rest in other people’s minds. To connect to other knowledge. It’s an innately social organism. Learning is NOT just about taking in information.

In my experience coaching hundreds of people on learning how to learn, almost no one has a system for processing information. Starting A Daily Learning Journal Will Change Your Life. In a Harvard study, “employees who spent the last 15 minutes of each day of their training period writing and reflecting on what they had learned did 23% better in the final training test than other employees.” Amazingly, those 15 minutes are only 1/33 of the total time but drive 20% of the learning gain.

The Explanation Effect is a phenomenon where teaching others what you have learned enhances your own understanding and retention of that knowledge. When you teach, you are forced to organize your thoughts and articulate them clearly, which strengthens your grasp of the subject matter. Teaching also exposes any gaps or misunderstandings in your own understanding, allowing you to fill those gaps and reinforce your knowledge.

But why does teaching have such a powerful impact on learning? One reason is that teaching requires you to engage with the material on a deeper level. Instead of simply passively consuming information, you actively process and internalize it in order to effectively communicate it to others. This process of active engagement helps solidify your understanding and creates stronger neural connections in your brain.

Furthermore, teaching encourages a more holistic and interconnected view of the subject matter. When you teach, you must consider how the information fits into the larger context and how different concepts relate to each other. This big-picture perspective helps you see the underlying principles and patterns that govern the topic, enhancing your overall comprehension.

Incorporating teaching into your learning routine can be as simple as explaining a concept to a friend, writing a blog post about what you've learned, or even creating a presentation to share with others. The key is to actively engage with the material and strive to convey it in a way that is understandable to others. By doing so, you not only deepen your own understanding but also contribute to the collective pool of knowledge.

Now, let's explore another perspective on the importance of learning and growth. In the startup world, there is a concept known as "product/market fit." This refers to the alignment between a product and its target market - when a product satisfies a strong market demand. Achieving product/market fit is crucial for the success of a startup.

According to the Pmarchive, a popular blog on startup advice, the only thing that matters in a startup is getting to product/market fit. This means doing whatever it takes to ensure that your product meets the needs of the market, even if it requires making difficult decisions or pivoting your strategy. The caliber of the team and the quality of the product are important, but without a market that is receptive to your offering, all other efforts may go in vain.

In a great market, the market itself pulls the product out of the startup. This means that if there is a strong demand for a certain product or service, customers will naturally gravitate towards it, regardless of the team or the specific features of the product. On the other hand, even the most impressive product and the most talented team will struggle to succeed in a market that lacks demand.

This perspective challenges the commonly held belief that the team is the most important factor in startup success. While having a great team certainly helps, it is ultimately the market that determines the fate of a startup. The size and growth rate of the market, as well as the level of demand, are the true indicators of potential success.

So, how do these two seemingly unrelated concepts - the Explanation Effect and product/market fit - connect? Both emphasize the importance of sharing knowledge and understanding, albeit in different contexts. In the Explanation Effect, teaching what you learn enhances your own understanding and retention. In the startup world, achieving product/market fit requires understanding the needs and desires of the target market.

By combining these concepts, we can derive actionable advice for both personal learning and entrepreneurial endeavors:

1. Teach what you learn: Whether you're studying a new subject or working on a startup, take the time to explain and teach what you've learned to others. This will deepen your understanding and help identify any gaps in your knowledge.

2. Seek feedback and validation: In both learning and entrepreneurship, it's important to gather feedback from others to validate your understanding or product-market fit. Listen to the perspectives of others and be open to making adjustments based on their insights.

3. Embrace continuous learning: Both the Explanation Effect and product/market fit highlight the importance of ongoing learning and adaptation. Stay curious, be open to new ideas, and continuously seek ways to improve and grow.

In conclusion, the Explanation Effect and the concept of product/market fit may seem unrelated at first, but they share a common thread - the power of sharing knowledge and understanding. Whether you're teaching what you've learned to enhance your own learning or striving to achieve product/market fit in a startup, the act of sharing and engaging with others is essential for growth and success. So, embrace the power of teaching, seek alignment with your target market, and never stop learning.