// description
A four-step learning method: (1) choose a concept, (2) explain it in simple language as if teaching a child, (3) identify gaps in your explanation, (4) return to the source material to fill those gaps and simplify further. Repeat until you can explain it simply and completely.
// history
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman was legendary for his ability to explain complex physics concepts in plain language. He believed that if you couldn't explain something simply, you didn't really understand it — you just knew the words. The "Feynman Technique" as a formalised learning method was articulated by his biographers and popularised online in the 2010s as one of the most effective strategies for deep learning and knowledge retention.
// example
You want to understand how the Amazon KDP algorithm ranks books. Explain it simply: "Amazon shows books to more people when more people click and buy them." Gaps: what about keywords? search placement? ads? Fill those in. Simplify: "Amazon rewards books that satisfy customer intent — find what people are searching for, make a book that matches, get early sales to prove demand, then the algorithm amplifies." That's the core model.
// katharyne's take
This is my personal litmus test for whether I actually understand something versus just having heard the words. If I can't explain it to a total beginner without using jargon, I don't know it well enough to teach it or make decisions based on it. I use the Feynman Technique regularly when I'm building course content — it forces me to find the clean explanation underneath all the complexity. That's what students actually need.
// creative uses
- Before recording any course module, write a one-paragraph plain-language explanation of the concept — no jargon, no assumed knowledge. If you can't write it, you're not ready to record. The Feynman gap-finding step will save you re-records.
- Use it to sharpen your Etsy listing descriptions: try explaining exactly what the buyer will receive and how they'll use it as if they've never bought a digital product before. Any confusion you hit while writing is confusion your customers will hit at checkout.
- Apply it to Midjourney before teaching a prompt technique in your community: explain the technique in one sentence without using the words "prompt," "v6," or "style." If you can do it, your explanation will land with beginners and experienced users alike.
// quick actions
- Pick a topic you teach or talk about frequently. Write a 3-sentence explanation of it aimed at a complete newcomer right now. Where did you reach for jargon? Those are the concepts you don't fully own yet — go fill those gaps.
- Open your most complex course module. Read the introduction out loud. If you stumble or hedge anywhere, that's where a beginner will lose the thread. Rewrite those sentences until you can read them smoothly without adding verbal padding.
- Ask a non-creator friend or family member to read your product sales page. Ask them to tell you in their own words what the product does and who it's for. If their answer surprises you, rewrite until their answer matches yours.
// prompt ideas
Use the Feynman Technique to help me test my understanding of [topic I teach or create content about — e.g. KDP royalties / Midjourney prompting / Etsy SEO]. Ask me to explain it in plain language first, then identify any jargon, gaps, or hedging in my explanation, and tell me exactly where my understanding breaks down so I know what to go back and study.
Here's how I explain [concept] to my students: [paste your explanation or script excerpt]. Apply the Feynman test — would a complete beginner understand this without any assumed knowledge? Flag every place where I rely on jargon, assumed context, or shortcuts, and rewrite the flagged sections in simpler language.
I want to write a one-paragraph plain-language explainer on [complex topic in my niche] that I can use as a free piece of content. Write a first draft that explains it the way Feynman would — no jargon, one analogy, zero assumed knowledge. Then show me where the explanation could be simplified further without losing accuracy.