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Explain Like I'm Five · by Ethan Brooks · 2026-09-19

What is a realistic first 5-week plan for explainers with limited time?

I tried this in Mumbai with a friend and we both noticed teh same thing: teh social part mattered more than teh perfect plan.

Would love to hear how other people handle this. I am especially curious about teh version that works on a tired weekday not just on an ideal Sunday.

The detail that surprised me was how much a coworking table changed teh outcome. Same plan, different setting, completely different energy

50 sparks · 65 comments

Comments

Aarav Sharma · 50 likes

Yes, but I would approach it in a small, testable way rather than trying to solve everything at once. Most people skip the boring setup, but that setup is what makes the good habit survive a busy week.

- Start small and make the next step obvious.
- Keep notes so you can compare what worked.
- Ask someone with recent experience, not just strong opinions.

That should give you a solid first pass

Tola Ibrahim · 0 likes

adding this to my notes

Valeria López · 21 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. That is where the boring checklist helps

Gentle Baker · 17 likes

my practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. The Lagos example makes it feel concrete

Finn Brown · 13 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot

Mateo Cruz · 16 likes

The middle path is probly best: try it cheaply keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. My only addition is to make teh first step visible

Ananya Rao · 13 likes

agree completely. The simple version is underrated. The a trailhead detail changes the whole answer

Tola Ibrahim · 5 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Irene López · 11 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the train station

Sleepy Lantern · 7 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Yui Tanaka · 8 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. I used to overcomplicate this constantly

Nour Ali · 7 likes

the middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. The a trailhead detail changes the whole answer

Midnight Lantern · 8 likes

Totally agree, especially for beginners

Jonas Schneider · 4 likes

could be regional too

Rohan Mehta · 1 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot

Haruto Sato · 0 likes

This is the gentle version of my rant

Nour Ali · 1 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Tanvir Rahman · 7 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Mariam Said · 7 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. The late summer version is even more interesting

Nour Ali · 6 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Paolo Garcia · 5 likes

The vibe here is immaculate. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the train station

Grace Parker · 4 likes

the middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. I learned that one the expensive way

Ethan Brooks · 1 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Ananya Rao · 0 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated

Beatriz Sousa · 4 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. The quiet constraint is probly the real story

Tola Ibrahim · 4 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. I would write it down before changing anything else

Sara Ahmed · 4 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. That is where the boring checklist helps

Solar Orbit · 3 likes

Yes, but I would approach it in a small, testable way rather then trying to solve everything at once. The trap is trying to optimize before you have feedback.

- Start small and make the next step obvious.
- Keep notes so you can compare what worked.
- Ask someone with recent experience, not just strong opinions.

That should give you a solid first pass

Jasmine Cruz · 3 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy

Quiet Otter · 2 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. I used to overcomplicate this constantly

Aoi Ito · 1 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy

Bianca Santos · 2 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. I learned that one the expensive way

Grace Parker · 3 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Ethan Brooks · 3 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Lucas Silva · 2 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. This is more useful on a tired lunch break then on a perfect day

Siti Lim · 2 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error

Jasmine Cruz · 6 likes

I like this more then the top-level advice

Ren Suzuki · 2 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. My only addition is to make the first step visible

Elsa Andersson · 2 likes

I wish more posts had this much context. That is where the boring checklist helps

Ren Suzuki · 1 likes

The middle path is probly best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing

Tanvir Rahman · 1 likes

I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. I would love to see a follow-up after 9 weeks

Ethan Brooks · 1 likes

I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me

Aoi Ito · 0 likes

Thanks that actually helped

Paolo Garcia · 1 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error

Beatriz Sousa · 0 likes

I had the same reaction to outcome

Paolo Garcia · 1 likes

The plan angle is what sold me. I keep a note about simple for exactly this reason

Ethan Brooks · 3 likes

Beautifully concise

Ren Suzuki · 1 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Grace Parker · 1 likes

@paolo-51 This is the kind of disagreement I like

Rohan Mehta · 1 likes

my practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. I would write it down before changing anything else

Tola Ibrahim · 3 likes

could be regional too

Ethan Brooks · 1 likes

the middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. I am curious whether learning still feels good next month

Paolo Garcia · 1 likes

great point, especially the part about explainers. The the kitchen detail changes the whole answer

Gentle Noodle · 1 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Chiara Romano · 0 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated

Aarav Sharma · 1 likes

I had a similar experience, but my problem was consistency rather then motivation. The 5-minute rule is underrated. Small progress still counts

Lukas Huber · 1 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Paper Orbit · 1 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. I would love to see a follow-up after 2 weeks

Maya Williams · 0 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. I would love to see a follow-up after 8 weeks

Brian Otieno · 0 likes

This is useful for some cases, but terrible advice if the stakes are high. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing

Isha Menon · 0 likes

I would ask what outcome you want in two weeks, not in some ideal future. That makes the choice much clearer. I would write it down before changing anything else

Amina Okafor · 0 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. A little friction removed goes a long way

Kabir Khan · 0 likes

the middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. The chaotic part is easy to underestimate

Amelia Hughes · 0 likes

My practical advice is to make the next step tiny enough that you can do it today. Momentum usually answers half the question. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Noah Miller · 0 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. My friend tried it in Nairobi and had the opposite result