Buy Some Junk

I’ve found the worst mistake that can be made when you are trying to learn something new is to buy nice things – fancy gear, expensive tools, high-quality equipment. Buy some junk first.

The Asymmetry

If you have too much invested in a particular item, you lose the freedom to experiment with it. When you buy junk though, you gain that freedom back. You can tinker. You can disassemble it to learn how it works. You can modify and tune it. And – in the worst case – if you irreparably damage it you have risked very little.

That’s the positive asymmetry to junk – a lot of upside and little to lose. You can improve upon it. And through working with it, you can learn a lot.

And expensive or irreplaceable items have a negative asymmetry – difficult to improve upon and a lot to lose if you make a mistake. This asymmetry can give you paralysis. And the fear of damaging the item can prevent you from trying.

Example

Recently, I wanted to learn how small engines work. I went on craigslist and found a guy selling two chainsaws together for $25. They were beat up, near the end of their life. And neither was running well. But I took them back and disassembled. I cleaned them out, replaced old fuel lines, replaced a couple broken pieces. In the process I also damaged them both. Beginner’s mistakes. So I ordered replacements on eBay for just a few dollars and installed them.

In the end, I was never able to get one of the chainsaws running again. But the other one runs well now. I learned how the various parts of the engine work together. I learned how to adjust the throttle. I learned from my mistakes. I learned what to watch out for.

But this is all possible because I started with something that had very little value to me. If I’d purchased a $300 tool instead, I would’ve never attempted a repair out of fear. Fear of exactly what did occur. Fear that I would damage it further and lose my investment. But with experience under my belt, I have a lot better understanding.