Orbit · Explore

Explain Like I'm Five · by Mateo Cruz · 2026-08-30

What is your default move when explainers gets messy

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

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

116 sparks · 19 comments

Comments

Martina Fernández · 24 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. A little friction removed goes a long way.

Giulia Rossi · 13 likes

Surprised more people aren't choosing I need more context. It seems like the practical answer. I would love to see a follow-up after 8 weeks.

Haruto Sato · 12 likes

Thanks, that actually helped.

Ethan Brooks · 5 likes

The best answer in the thread, honestly.

Tomás Gómez · 4 likes

I think both things can be true.

Sophie Gagnon · 3 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way.

Kabir Khan · 2 likes

Short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes.

Urban River · 1 likes

My wallet felt that.

Curious Panda · 10 likes

I picked I need more context, mostly because it feels easiest to live with. I am curious whether simple still feels good next month.

Ethan Brooks · 7 likes

That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. I keep a note about explainers for exactly this reason.

Cedar Baker · 6 likes

I picked Yes, definitely, mostly because it feels easiest to live with. I used to overcomplicate this constantly.

Arif Hasan · 5 likes

I picked Maybe later, mostly because it feels easiest to live with. My friend tried it in Nairobi and had the opposite result.

Mateo Cruz · 20 likes

I think both things can be true.

Huy Le · 4 likes

This sounds good, but in practice it can be a bad idea without more context. This pairs weirdly well with mango sticky rice.

Olena Shevchenko · 3 likes

I picked Yes, definitely, mostly because it feels easiest to live with. The social part surprised me too.

Noé Petit · 1 likes

Not for me got my vote. The other choices are good, but this one fits my week. I would test it for 10 days before deciding.

Salma Idrissi · 1 likes

Honestly, this is a little too vague to be useful. This is more useful on a tired winter than on a perfect day.

Gentle Baker · 1 likes

This depends heavily on budget, time and personality. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Lucas Williams · 1 likes

Love the tiny experiment energy. The beautiful part is easy to underestimate.