Always Be Learning

Summary

Kickstarter’s Data team describes how pair learning fits into its broader “always be learning” culture, alongside monthly reading groups open to all employees. Two team members worked through Hadley Wickham’s Advanced R by reading one chapter every two weeks, then meeting for an hour and a half to discuss the material and complete exercises. They found that a steady pace, applying concepts to Kickstarter data, explaining ideas aloud, and documenting lessons in an internal R guide supported sustained learning; the guide includes a demonstration of R’s lazy evaluation. The pair considered the format easier to schedule and harder to neglect than larger groups, while acknowledging fewer perspectives and inclusion challenges, and concluded that it strengthened job-related skills and intellectual curiosity.

Takeaways

1. 1

   A two-week chapter pace made it easier for the pair to stay engaged and finish the book, although spending more time on exercises might have produced deeper absorption.

2. 2

   Applying textbook concepts to Kickstarter data made the underlying ideas easier for the participants to understand than relying only on toy examples.

3. 3

   Pair learning simplified scheduling and accountability, but provided fewer perspectives and made it harder to include additional people who wanted to join.