This week, I listened to investor Alix Pasquet III share his simple process for learning new investing skills:

1. Imitate – Find the smartest people who’ve figured out what you’re trying to do. Watch how they do it and imitate them. You’re trying to understand and replicate the what.
2. Assimilate – Analyze what they’re doing to understand why it works so well. The why is what you want to understand.
3. Innovate – Improve upon what you’ve learned. Make it better by adding your own insights or twist.

That’s a pretty straightforward process. I like it because you’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. You’re building upon what others have already figured out, which saves a ton of time.

Imitate, assimilate, innovate. That’s the way to learn and build new skills.