Josh Kaufman: How to Learn a Skill in 20 Hours

HN uses it as the standard counterpoint to the 10,000-hour rule and as an encouraging recipe for starting new skills.

Josh Kaufman's TEDx talk argues that you can reach practical competence in almost any skill with about 20 hours of focused practice, rather than the 10,000 hours often quoted. He describes how becoming a parent led him to rethink how adults learn, and lays out a short method for rapid skill acquisition.