Nathan BarryFounder and CEO, Kit · Founder and CEO at Kit

What is Pat Flynn's 20% Itch Rule?

25 Nov 2025 · 1 min

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This content was created by Nathan Barry. This content was uploaded by Nathan Barry. This is a YouTube video titled "What is Pat Flynn's 20% Itch Rule?" (created 2025-11-25) containing an English monologue in which the speaker explains the "20% itch rule" from Pat Flynn's Lean Learning: allocate ~80% of time to core commitments and ~20% for experimentation and creative play (e.g., treating Friday as experimentation time). The speaker contrasts this approach with advice from people like Alex Hormozi who advocate doing one thing exclusively.

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One thing that I talk about in Lean Learning is this idea of experimentation, right? Like controlling the amount of additional stuff you have beyond the stuff that you're committed to. Because a lot of people will say, people like Alex Hormozi say, you just need to do the one thing and lean into it and one thing only, like nothing else. And I understand why that's there because we kind of go everywhere when we allow ourselves too much freedom. But I allow myself 20% of time for experimentation to play in whatever I do. When you look at a week, that's maybe Friday, right? Monday to Thursday, 80%. Friday, 20%. The 80% is the commitments you already have, the things you're already supposed to be doing, the responsibilities you have, etc. This 20% allows me to scratch that itch. I call it the 20% itch rule. It allows me to play and has permission. I have now permission to play and experiment and be creative and see what happens.