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Explain Like I'm Five · by Inês Ferreira · 2026-10-04

Can someone explain the practical difference between simple and the practice run when life is busy?

My current rule is simple: if it takes less than 6 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it.

27 sparks · 6 comments

Comments

Mango Baker · 25 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 low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Paper Mango · 3 likes

Yes, but I would approach it in a small, testable way rather than 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.

Ananya Rao · 2 likes

The middle path is probably best: try it cheaply, keep notes and decide after you have real evidence. The Berlin example makes it feel concrete.

Rohan Mehta · 3 likes

That is a good boundary.

Priya Nair · 2 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 · 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. The social part surprised me too.