The Rule of 100

Okay, let me share something I've been mulling over, a sort of personal rule of thumb I call "The Rule of 100." And no, it’s not some super-scientific, data-backed theorem from a research paper. It’s more of a "line in the sand" I’ve found incredibly useful for actually learning stuff and making progress, especially when it feels like you’re just spinning your wheels.

The Old Pottery Class Story Still Hits Different

You’ve probably heard that classic story about the pottery class, right?

If not, quick version: teacher splits the class. Group A gets graded on making one perfect pot. And in Group B, they get graded purely on quantity – churn out 50 pounds of pots, you get an A.

Here's the punchline - The "quantity" group, the ones who made pot after pot, messing up, learning, trying again, ended up with the best-looking, most skillfully crafted pots. Their goal wasn’t just "make a bunch of pots"; it was to "learn to make a good pot by making a whole bunch of them." Now, the "perfection" group? Often got stuck in their heads, barely producing anything.

This story just nails it for me. Real breakthroughs, real skill, often comes from the messy, sometimes frustrating, but always insightful process of doing, learning from what didn't work, and doing it again. And again.

Iteration Isn't New, But How We Frame It Matters

Now, this idea of learning by doing and iterating isn't exactly a radical new concept. We see it everywhere, especially in our world.

Take the Lean Startup principles – that whole Build-Measure-Learn cycle. Absolutely brilliant for product development. It’s all about action, quick iteration, and not being afraid to pivot based on what you learn. Love it.

Then there's the 10,000-Hour Rule that Malcolm Gladwell made famous. The idea that it takes roughly that much time for true mastery. It speaks to dedication, no doubt. But here’s my spin: in this AI-supercharged world we’re living in, raw "time spent" feels like less of a barrier. AI can help us learn faster, get feedback quicker, and even automate some of the grunt work. So, for me, the number of iterative cycles – those deliberate attempts to do, measure, learn, and then improve – feels like a more relevant metric today.

And that’s where my "Rule of 100" comes in. Lean Startup is a fantastic mindset, and 10,000 hours is a marathon. But "The Rule of 100"? It’s a tangible, almost dare-to-yourself "line in the sand." It’s about committing to a specific number of attempts. Think about it: how many people truly commit to trying something new, really digging in, for 100 distinct iterations? Not many. (don't believe me? try ask yourself this question - see what you come up with ;-) )

And I believe that commitment, that sheer volume of practice and learning cycles, is where a different kind of magic happens. It’s practical.

So, What's This "Rule of 100" All About Then?

It’s dead simple, really: Pick something you want to learn, master, or just get significantly better at. Then commit to doing it, in some form, 100 times.

Again, it's a guiding principle as the Amazonians would say. The number 100 isn't magic. But it's substantial. It forces you past the "dabbling" phase, through the initial "this is harder than I thought" phase, and into a space where real patterns, insights, and skills can actually emerge. The power isn’t in the number itself, but in the disciplined process of those 100 attempts.

Navigating Your "100 Reps": The Stages You'll Likely Hit

As you go on this journey of 100 iterations, you’ll probably notice a few phases. These aren't rigid steps with deadlines, more like evolving stages of understanding. Your mileage will definitely vary (what you do, how you do it, and individual learning curve etc), but here’s a rough idea:

• Just Get Started, Already! This is often the biggest hurdle, right? Moving from just thinking about it (or watching endless YouTube tutorials) to actually doing the thing. Inertia is real, but action is the only antidote.

• Do Your Homework (The First Messy Reps) These are your early attempts. You’ll learn the basics through direct, often clumsy, experience. You’ll make mistakes – and that’s awesome, because that’s where the learning starts. (Quick aside: try to figure out the really basic stuff on your own first. We all value our time, so respecting others' time by not asking questions a quick search could answer is a good look.) Don't get me wrong, ask all the questions you might have, but it's simply NOT okay to ask questions that are google-able, do your own homework!

• Ask the Right Questions (Time for Smart Feedback) Okay, so you've put in some real effort, hit some walls. Now is a great time to seek targeted advice from people who’ve been there, done that. Good questions, born from your own attempts, get you much better, more actionable guidance. This is where mentors or a supportive community can really accelerate things.

• Build Your Own POV (This is Where it Gets Interesting) As you keep iterating, something cool happens. You start connecting dots in new ways, synthesizing what you’ve learned, and forming your own unique perspective. I always tell my teams, if you don’t have a strong Point of View on something you're deeply involved with, it probably means either you don’t know it well enough yet, or (ouch) you don’t care enough. Neither is great for making an impact. This is where "writing to think" (yes I wrote it too) daily reflections, or just dedicated quiet time to process can be gold.

• Share Your Craft, Influence Your Community (Give and Get Back) Once your POV starts to solidify, think about sharing what you’re learning. Test your ideas. You learn even faster when you get feedback and engage in discussions. (Why do you think places like Reddit are such hotbeds for niche knowledge? It’s that collective (and TL;DR) learning!) Putting your thoughts "out there" might feel a bit daunting at first, but believe me, "open-sourcing" your journey can be incredibly rewarding, for you and for others.

My Own "Rule of 100" Example: These LinkedIn Posts

So, am I practicing what I preach? Trying to! These substack articles you've been seeing from me? That's actually one of my current "Rule of 100" projects in action. If you're counting - this is post #5, believe it or not, and it feels like a good time to share a bit of the "why" behind it.

1. I'm Lazy: Honestly, I often found myself answering similar questions or having the same discussions with different people. Writing these posts is my attempt to be proactively communicative, share my thoughts on common themes, and maybe save us all some time in the long run!

2. Yet, I'm Generous: I genuinely want to share ideas and learnings with a broader audience than just my immediate network. If something I've figured out, or am still figuring out, can spark an idea or help someone else, that feels like a good use of energy.

3. I'm Biased: I'm very aware that my perspective is just that – my perspective. I don't have all the answers. Sharing publicly on LinkedIn is an amazing way to invite diverse viewpoints, get constructive feedback, and seriously sharpen my own thinking.

4. I Write to Think Better: No secret agenda here. For me, the act of writing, of trying to articulate an idea clearly, is one of the best ways to understand it more deeply myself. (And hey, as always the likes and comments are definitely appreciated)

I’m genuinely excited to see what I’ll have learned, what new connections I’ll have made, and how my own thinking will have evolved by the time I hit post #100 in this particular series.

What About You? What's Your "100"?

So, what do you think? Does this "Rule of 100" make sense? Does it resonate with how you’ve seen learning or mastery happen, either for yourself or others?

What’s something you’ve done (or maybe are now inspired to try) 100 times to really get a handle on it or achieve something meaningful?

I’d love to hear your stories and thoughts in the comments below!

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