Explain Like I'm Five · by Minji Kim · 2026-10-03

Settle a friendly Explain Like I'm Five debate before coffee

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the tiny repair for a while.

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 7 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

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

This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. explainers got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.

65 sparks · 15 comments

Comments

Sofía Hernández · 8 likes

Surprised more people aren't choosing Not for me. It seems like the practical answer. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error.

Minji Kim · 6 likes

Yes, definitely got my vote. The other choices are good, but this one fits my week. I keep a note about questions for exactly this reason.

Tanvir Rahman · 8 likes

That is the part people skip.

Mateo Cruz · 4 likes

Yep, the boring details matter.

Rizky Pratama · 3 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.

Minji Kim · 2 likes

Noted, and thank you.

Rizky Pratama · 2 likes

Totally agree, especially for beginners.

Luca Bianchi · 4 likes

Surprised more people aren't choosing Not for me. It seems like the practical answer. The 5-minute rule is underrated.

Cian Kelly · 2 likes

This is adorable and oddly motivating. My only addition is to make the first step visible.

Maya Putri · 1 likes

This is useful for some cases, but terrible advice if the stakes are high. The Nairobi example makes it feel concrete.

Ananya Rao · 1 likes

I am stealing that phrase.

Maya Putri · 1 likes

Totally agree, especially for beginners.

Imogen Clarke · 1 likes

Yes, definitely got my vote. The other choices are good, but this one fits my week. The 7-minute rule is underrated.

Valentina Ruiz · 1 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely. This pairs weirdly well with ramen. This is kinder advice than most of the internet manages.

Lukas Huber · 1 likes

Yes, definitely got my vote. The other choices are good, but this one fits my week. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability.