The Power Law of Practice
Steep learning curves are a gift — most gains happen fast, then plateau.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 88%
The power law of practice describes how improvement plots against time: sharp, dramatic gains at the beginning, then a plateau where further progress demands disproportionate effort. Kaufman notes a steep learning curve is actually good — it means you go from terrible to competent in a compressed period. The plateau is the business concept of diminishing returns, the domain where chess grandmasters and Olympic sprinters spend years for hundredths-of-a-second gains. Knowing the shape of the curve lets you invest effort where it pays off most.
Origin
Kaufman drew on the psychological research literature where this pattern, replicated many times, is formally called the power law of practice. Researchers give subjects a cognitive or motor task, graph competence over time, and consistently see fast early gains followed by a level-off. He confirmed it through his own repeated experimentation across multiple skills.
Core principles
- 01A steep learning curve is desirable: it means rapid improvement early on.
- 02Improvement front-loads, then flattens into a plateau of diminishing returns.
- 03The plateau is where mastery lives — enormous effort for marginal gains.
- 04The pattern holds for both cognitive and motor skills.
How to run it
- 1
Reframe the steep curve as good news
Understand that a steep learning curve means fast improvement per hour early on — the opposite of the frustrating one-percent-a-year slow ramp.
Pro tip Graph your improvement against time spent to see the curve for yourself and stay motivated.
- 2
Ride the early steep section
Concentrate effort in the first hours where you move from terrible to pretty decent to competent in a compressed period.
Pro tip This early window is where the return on each hour is highest — protect it.
- 3
Decide consciously at the plateau
When gains flatten, recognise you've hit diminishing returns and choose whether the marginal improvement is worth the large added investment.
Pro tip Competence at the plateau is a perfectly good place to stop for most skills.
Watch out Beyond the plateau, expect to pour enormous energy in for tiny marginal gains.
In the wild
An elite sprinter works for years chasing a 0.01-second improvement on their 100-metre time — enormous energy for a tiny marginal gain.
→ This illustrates the far right of the curve, where mastery costs disproportionately compared to the steep early gains.
Common mistakes
Fearing the steep learning curve
People treat 'steep learning curve' as a warning when it actually signals fast, rewarding early improvement.
Mistaking the plateau for failure
Hitting diminishing returns feels like stalling, but it's the natural shape of the curve, not a sign you've done something wrong.
Is it for you?
Best for
Learners deciding how much to invest in a skill and when to stop.
Not ideal for
People pursuing elite mastery who must accept the slow, high-cost plateau grind.
From the transcript
“steep learning curves are you want to see dramatic improvement at the beginning and then you reach some sort of plateau”
“this is called the power law of practice um has been replicated many many times uh by psychological researchers”
From the episode
Josh Kaufman Teaches How to Acquire Any Skill in Just 20 Hours