Rubik’s Cubes & Speed-Listening at 5x
Are you actually willing to put in the work?
A month ago, I launched Rightspeed, a speed-listening app for audiobooks and podcasts, on the App Store.
Alongside the launch, I wrote a post about my speed-listening journey, in which I mention my ability to listen to audiobooks at around 5x playback speed (with full comprehension).
After the app was picked up by Techcrunch, I received a lot of emails from readers who also wanted the ability to speed-listen at ridiculously fast speeds, but who reported that they hit their speed ceiling at 2x or 3x. Many other readers simply believed that I was lying about my abilities.
So, in this post, I hope to very quickly explain how it is possible to speed-listen at 5x. The best way to explain is through analogy…
The Rubik’s Cube Challenge
Imagine I handed you a scrambled Rubik’s Cube.
I then asked you to solve it, but not in the normal way.
Instead, I first challenge you to look at the cube and memorize the position of every piece. I then ask you to project, just in your mind, every move that you would need to make in order to completely solve the cube. Next, I ask you to memorize that sequence of imaginary moves.
After you finish memorizing, I ask you to put the Rubik’s Cube behind your back and close your eyes. You have less than 2 minutes to solve the cube completely from memory. Go.
For most people, this challenge probably sounds even more ridiculous than listening to an audiobook at 5x.
But, just like with speed-listening, if you train with deliberate practice and a highly focused goal, you can teach your brain to complete the Rubik’s Cube challenge without a problem.
It took me a month of training.
If you’re interested in learning more about “deliberate practice” and the research behind it, I recommend you check out the book Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Andres Ericsson.
If you’re interested in specifically training your speed-listening abilities, check out Rightspeed on the App Store.
Good luck training. It’s going to be hard, but worth it.
Max Deutsch is the founder of Rhombus, a Startup-As-A-Service company, based in San Francisco. Rhombus works with non-technical entrepreneurs to build stunning mobile apps, like Rightspeed.
