Orbit · Explore

Curious · by Solar River · 2026-09-23

Which advice about explainers did you eventually ignore as a beginner?

A few notes from my attempt:
- keep the first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate the boring repeat

I know this is a tiny sample size, but after 7 attempts the pattern is pretty clear. When I keep the setup simple, I actually follow through.

3 sparks · 4 comments

Comments

Huy Le · 1 likes

A useful way to think about it is mechanism first: what changes, what stays constant, and what evidence would distinguish the two. If two options look equal, choose the one that is easier to reverse.

- 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.

Hope this helps!

Mango Panda · 0 likes

Beautifully concise.

Hugo Sánchez · 0 likes

I am stealing that phrase.

Jonas Schneider · 0 likes

A useful way to think about it is mechanism first: what changes, what stays constant, and what evidence would distinguish the two. If two options look equal, choose the one that is easier to reverse.

- 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.

Source: mostly hard-won experience and comparing notes with people who stuck with it.