How long will it take to learn this skill?

How the math works

Built on the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition, five levels each with an approximate hour benchmark: ~50 hrs for basic guided tasks, ~200 for independent routine work, ~1,000 for confident handling of most situations, ~4,000 for mentoring others, and ~10,000 for world-class, intuitive mastery (K. Anders Ericsson's well-known research figure). Josh Kaufman's widely-cited ~20-hour "basic competence" figure sits at the very beginning of this same curve — the two famous numbers aren't contradicting each other, they're describing opposite ends of it. Prior relevant experience proportionally reduces the remaining hours needed.

Ericsson's original research specifically emphasized deliberate practice — structured, feedback-driven, progressively challenging — not just hours logged passively. The popularized "10,000 hours" framing frequently drops that qualifier.

Where this doesn't apply

• Not every skill follows the same curve shape — the figures are illustrative averages, not a precise prediction for every domain.
• Passive repetition without feedback doesn't produce the same results as genuinely deliberate practice at the same hour count.
• Many practical goals are fully satisfied well below the 10,000-hour expert level — target the level you actually need.