The Myth of 10,000 Hours
One of the most persistent myths about learning is the idea that mastery requires 10,000 hours of practice. However, simply spending time on something does not guarantee improvement. If you spend 10,000 hours repeating the same mistakes, you won’t get better—you’ll just reinforce bad habits. The real key to learning is not just practice, but deliberate practice—actively learning from mistakes, adapting, and improving.
Learning by Doing, Not Just Consuming
Many people believe that consuming endless books, courses, or theoretical knowledge is the best way to learn. But reading and studying alone will never be enough. Learning happens through action, not passive recall.
This is a lesson I have struggled with myself. I love diving deep into theory, consuming vast amounts of knowledge, and analyzing details. But at some point, knowledge must be put into practice. That’s why one of the notes on my wall simply says: “Do it!”
The key to learning efficiently is the 80/20 rule: Learn the most critical 20% of concepts that will provide 80% of the value. Then, fill in the gaps through experience.
Chess: A Perfect Example of Learning Through Failure
At the beginning of January, I started playing chess seriously. Nothing teaches you more about chess than actually playing the game and making mistakes.
A great example comes from Grand Master Yasser Seirawan’s book Winning Chess Tactics, where he describes his early years of experimenting with different childish combinations. He improved not by reading about chess but by playing, failing, and analyzing what went wrong. He stick to his combinations, tested them out and adapting.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. Recently, I played against a strong opponent and was winning by material. I thought I had the game in the bag. Rushing to finish the game, I blundered—stalemate! The realization hit me like a brick. I had victory in my hands but threw it away due to impatience. That painful lesson stuck with me: always triple-check for stalemate before finishing off your opponent.
This is the essence of learning. You don’t improve by repeating mistakes; you improve by analyzing them and changing your approach.
The Importance of Feedback Loops
Making mistakes is only useful if you analyze them. Without a feedback loop, failure is just failure. The simplest feedback loop in chess is whether you win or lose. But modern tools like Stockfish allow players to analyze their positions, see their best moves, and identify missed opportunities.
A crucial lesson: Don’t just analyze your losses. Sometimes, even in victories, you miss better moves. I’ve often realized later that I could have checkmated in two moves but dragged the game on for five. Low-rated games are chaotic fun to watch—brilliant moves mixed with absolute blunders.
This applies beyond chess. In Agile, we create feedback loops after every sprint. We test things out, review results, and adjust. The cycle looks like this:
- Action – Try something out.
- Result – Observe the outcome.
- Analysis – Understand what worked and what didn’t.
- Adjust/Conserve – Change approach or reinforce success.
A strong feedback loop ensures that learning happens as quickly as possible because mistakes are corrected in real-time rather than accumulating over years.
The Psychological Challenge of Losing
Losing is painful, and many people struggle with it. Some cannot accept defeat and quit when they encounter failure. This is immaturity. The best players in any field—chess, business, sports—fail continuously but persist.
I’m currently teaching my son how to lose gracefully. He gets frustrated and loses motivation when he isn’t good at something right away. But every top player in the world was a beginner once and endured countless losses before becoming great. How human this frustration is.
One of my personal mantras before starting a game is:
“You are here to become a better chess player, not just to win the match.”
This mindset makes it easier to handle losses because the goal isn’t just immediate victory—it’s long-term improvement. This applies to everything in life. In business, sports, or Agile development, setbacks should be viewed as learning opportunities, not failures.
Learning with a Coach: Seeing Your Blind Spots
Sometimes, we don’t know what we don’t know. In these cases, a coach or mentor is invaluable. They provide an outside perspective and highlight mistakes we might never notice ourselves. Great coaches have already made many mistakes and can help guide us through ours.
A good coach also provides the right amount of pressure. Too little, and you don’t grow. Too much, and you break. A great coach knows how to push you to improve without overwhelming you.
Conclusion: Fail, Analyze, Adapt
The fastest way to learn isn’t just putting in hours. It’s deliberate action, failure, analysis, and adaptation. This applies to:
- Chess: Play, lose, analyze, improve.
- Agile: Experiment, review sprint results, adjust.
- Life: Take action, learn from mistakes, and refine your approach.
Don’t just study—do. Don’t fear failure—embrace it. And most importantly, always analyze and adapt. That’s how true learning happens.