Richard Feynman wasn’t just a Nobel Prize-winning physicist - he was one of history’s greatest learners and teachers. His technique for understanding complex topics is deceptively simple yet profoundly effective.

The Core Principle

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

The Feynman Technique exposes the gaps in your knowledge by forcing you to teach what you think you know.

The Four Steps

Step 1: Choose a Concept

Write the concept at the top of a blank page. Be specific.

A brilliant thread from @meetstef on why mastering fundamentals before frameworks is the key to long-term success in tech.

The Core Message

Stop chasing frameworks. Start building foundations.

The tech industry’s obsession with the latest tools is backwards. True expertise comes from understanding the principles beneath the tools.

The Framework Trap

What Most People Do

1. Learn React without understanding JavaScript
2. Use ORMs without knowing SQL
3. Deploy to cloud without grasping networking
4. Copy Stack Overflow without comprehending the code

Why This Fails

• Frameworks change - Angular to React to Vue to Svelte to…?
• Problems don’t - Data structures, algorithms, and system design remain constant
• Debugging requires depth - When abstractions leak, you need to understand what’s underneath
• Career ceiling - Framework experts become obsolete; fundamental experts become architects

The Fundamental Advantage

What Fundamentals Give You

1. Transfer learning - Jump between technologies easily
2. Problem-solving - See patterns, not just syntax
3. Innovation - Create new solutions, not just apply existing ones
4. Longevity - Skills that last decades, not months

The Compound Effect

• Year 1: Struggle more than framework learners
• Year 2: Match their productivity
• Year 3: Surpass them significantly
• Year 5: Operate at a different level entirely

The Learning Hierarchy

Level 1: Core Computer Science

• Data Structures - Arrays, trees, graphs, hash tables
• Algorithms - Sorting, searching, optimization
• Complexity - Big O, space-time tradeoffs
• Systems - Memory, CPU, I/O, networking

Level 2: Language Fundamentals

• Paradigms - OOP, functional, procedural
• Memory management - Stack vs heap, garbage collection
• Concurrency - Threads, async, parallelism
• Type systems - Static vs dynamic, strong vs weak

Level 3: Domain Principles

• Web - HTTP, REST, browsers, DOM
• Databases - ACID, CAP theorem, indexing
• Distributed systems - Consensus, replication, partitioning
• Security - Encryption, authentication, authorization

Level 4: Tools and Frameworks

Only now should you learn specific implementations.

A powerful video on the science and art of effective learning - strategies that can transform how you acquire and retain knowledge.

The Video

Why This Matters

In an age of infinite information, knowing HOW to learn is more valuable than what you currently know. The ability to rapidly acquire new skills and knowledge determines your adaptability and success.