Explain Like I'm Five · by Rohan Mehta · 2026-10-02
Is there a simple rule of thumb for simple?
A few notes from my attempt:
- keep the first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate the boring repeat
My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.
A few notes from my attempt:
- keep the first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate the boring repeat
17 sparks · 9 comments
Comments
Ngozi Bello · 25 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.
Hope this helps!
Nour Ali · 13 likes
Yes, but I would approach it in a small, testable way rather than trying to solve everything at once. 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!
Lucas Dubois · 5 likes
Yes, but I would approach it in a small, testable way rather than trying to solve everything at once. 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!
Ngozi Bello · 0 likes
I like this more than the top-level advice.
João Pereira · 0 likes
The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. My only addition is to make the first step visible.