Today I read an article about a hack that helps you learn better. It suggests writing a one-page summary after you’ve read ten pages of a book because this increases your retention by 50%. The idea is that to learn, you must stretch yourself. You’re forced to do that if you have to process and organize what you consumed and then express your understanding in writing.

A few months back, I was writing a series of five or so blog posts for every biography or autobiography I read. I created a digest of each book and then shared the important parts via the blog series. Then, I began using the blog series to create a podcast series.

I was doing multiple levels of distillation, which helped me uncover insights from each book and retain more about each founder’s journey that I’d read about. Doing all of this weekly wasn’t sustainable, and I want to find a more sustainable process for doing the same thing. That’s why I’ve created an MVP to help me create book digests.

I’m a fan of writing. It’s a powerful practice that helps me organize my thoughts. When I write about what I’ve read, it feels like a superpower. I identify core concepts and insights I wouldn’t have found by reading passively, I retain them, and I can share them with others.

Writing about what you’ve read is something everyone can do, but most won’t. It’s more work, but I think the reward is worth the effort.