# Why I'm Learning in Public > [!metadata]- Metadata > **Published:** [[2025-01-28|Jan 28, 2025]] > **Tags:** #🌐 #learning-in-public #digital-garden #second-brain #personal-growth #knowledge-management ![[IMG_20201023_1420062072-crop_0.webp]] You know that feeling when you learn something cool and immediately want to share it with someone? That's basically what learning in public is all about, but with a bit more intention behind it. It's this wonderful concept that [Shawn "swyx" Wang popularized](https://www.swyx.io/learn-in-public?t), describing it as creating "*learning exhaust*" - I love that phrase because it perfectly captures how sharing your learning journey leaves a trail for others to follow. ## What Made Me Jump Into This? I'll be honest - for the longest time, I kept my learning process private. I'd read articles, take notes, and squirrel away information in my [[Building a Second Brain|digital second brain]], thinking I needed to master something before sharing it. But here's the thing I realized: that's like trying to become a chef without ever letting anyone taste your food! When I discovered the concept of [[Harvesting Ideas with Digital Gardens|digital gardening]], something clicked. It wasn't about presenting perfect, polished content - it was about growing ideas in the open, letting others see the process, and maybe even help tend to the garden. Just like a real garden, some ideas start as tiny seedlings, while others grow into mature, evergreen content that evolves over time. ## The Beautiful Mess of Learning in Public Think of it like this: my [[About this Website|website]] isn't a perfectly manicured garden where everything's in its place. Instead, it's more like my actual garden - some ideas are fully grown trees, others are tiny seedlings just poking through the soil, and yes, there might be a few weeds here and there. And that's exactly how it should be! Here's what makes this approach so powerful: 1. **It's Real:** When I share my learning journey - mistakes and all - it shows others that it's okay not to be perfect 2. **It's Dynamic:** My understanding grows with every interaction and piece of feedback 3. **It Creates Connections:** I've found that sharing openly invites others to join the conversation and builds meaningful networks 4. **It Keeps Me Going:** Nothing beats the motivation of knowing others might benefit from my learning journey 5. **It Builds Credibility:** Over time, this public record of growth becomes a portfolio of expertise and authenticity ## Why This Works Especially Well for Me Living with [[Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder|ADHD]], I've found that traditional approaches to learning and sharing knowledge often don't work well for me. Learning in public has been a game-changer because: - The immediate feedback gives me those dopamine hits my brain craves - Public accountability helps keep me focused - The flexible, garden-like structure matches my non-linear thinking style - Breaking free from perfectionism reduces anxiety ## How I'm Actually Doing This Through my [[Harvesting Ideas with Digital Gardens|digital garden]], I'm sharing: - My journey of building and running [AgileCode Studio](https://agilecode.studio) - Experiments with productivity systems and tools - Adventures in personal knowledge management - The ups and downs of both personal & professional growth I update my [[Now|now page]] regularly to share what I'm currently focusing on, and I'm not afraid to show when I'm struggling with something or when I change my mind about an approach. ## The Real Magic Here's what I've learned: the most valuable part isn't about building a massive following or becoming an influencer. The real magic happens when you help your future self (and maybe a few others along the way) by documenting your journey. Yes, there are challenges - sometimes you'll share something that turns out to be wrong, or you'll feel vulnerable putting unfinished thoughts out there. But that's part of the growth process, isn't it? ## Moving Forward This website is my playground for learning in public, combining the philosophy of open learning with the practical framework of digital gardening. Some days I'll share detailed insights about product management, other days it might be my struggles with maintaining productivity with ADHD. Whatever it is, I'm committed to showing up and sharing authentically. The beauty of this approach is that it's not just about creating content - it's about building a dynamic, interconnected web of knowledge that grows more valuable over time. Through bi-directional linking and continuous refinement, each piece of content becomes part of a larger conversation. > **Remember:** A digital garden doesn't need to be perfect - it just needs to be growing. ## Further Reading - [The Garden and the Stream: A Technopastoral](https://hapgood.us/2015/10/17/the-garden-and-the-stream-a-technopastoral) by Mike Caulfield - [Of Digital Streams, Campfires and Gardens](https://tomcritchlow.com/2018/10/10/of-gardens-and-wikis/) by Tom Critchlow - [Building a Digital Garden](https://tomcritchlow.com/2019/02/17/building-digital-garden/) by Tom Critchlow - [My blog is a digital garden, not a blog](https://joelhooks.com/digital-garden) by Joel Hook - [How the Blog Broke the Internet](https://stackingthebricks.com/how-blogs-broke-the-web/) by Amy Hoy - [A Brief History & Ethos of the Digital Garden](https://maggieappleton.com/garden-history) by Maggie Appleton - [Digital Garden Terms of Service](https://www.swyx.io/digital-garden-tos/) by Shawn Wang - [As We May Think](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we-may-think/303881/) by Vannevar Bush