I’m still amazed by the speed and progress of self-learners on Reddit who joined my experiment to match learners into tight squads to ship career-ready Large Language Model (LLM) projects. In just 5 days, they made solid progress that I didn’t expect.
It all started when I posted about this idea on Reddit. Four days later, the first squads kicked off. And another 5 days later, they had made incredible progress. Mark, Mason, and Tenshi, among others, achieved impressive milestones, from hitting Level 1 in just over a day to writing a full breakdown of Python API to bytecode to Aten to VRAM.
## The Power of Self-Learning
What struck me was how these learners, with different backgrounds, were able to learn fast on their own, without relying on curated content or having all the answers. They demonstrated that anyone can learn rapidly, even without traditional education or guidance.
## The Challenges of Self-Learning
However, I also realized that there are bigger challenges to overcome. For instance, how do we assist people in executing their projects to a top-level standard? How do we secure high-quality matches between learners? And how do we make self-learning a lifelong skill, rather than a one-time achievement?
## A Three-Part Approach
My approach to addressing these challenges involves three key elements:
1. **Using AI as a thinking tool**: Learners use a non-linear AI interface to think with AI, not just consume its output. This helps them actively reason, paraphrase, organize, and build a personal model that compounds over time.
2. **Following a layered roadmap**: Learners follow a roadmap that locks their focus on the highest-leverage knowledge, enabling them to start building real projects fast. They also implement effective execution techniques to maintain a high standard.
3. **Collaborating in tight squads**: Learners work in tight squads that collaborate and co-evolve. Matches are based on commitment level, execution speed, and the depth of progress shown in the early stages.
## Join the Experiment
If you’re a self-learner who’s dedicated, self-driven, and collaborative, I invite you to join this experiment. You don’t need a degree or background; just the will to break through and achieve your goals. Leave a comment or DM me to learn more.
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*Further reading: [Large Language Models: A Beginner’s Guide](https://towardsdatascience.com/large-language-models-a-beginners-guide-7c5a4d3a6a)*