The problem
Vocabulary is the only barrier
A few years ago someone told me they'd spent months trying to build a website. Months. Not because they weren't capable, but because nobody had given them the words. They didn't know what a static site was. They didn't know what "deploy" meant. They were navigating a domain blind, taking every wrong turn available, because the vocabulary wasn't there.
With the right words, that journey is hours, not months. The vocabulary is the barrier. Not the intelligence. Not the capability. Just a handful of words that nobody thought to explain.
Large language models can be some of the best teaching tools you'll ever encounter. They can also send you on a wild goose chase. The wrong question gets you the wrong answer. Know the right words and you ask the right questions. You don't need baroque prompts. You need the vocabulary.
The idea
A room full of words, ready to use
This site is a directory of domain vocabularies. Each glossary is a room. The words are already there, off the shelf. You pick up the ones you need and walk into the domain ready to ask better questions than you could have asked before.
These aren't encyclopaedia entries. They aren't Wikipedia articles. They're the words that actually open the door, chosen by someone who's been through it. The struggle is still yours. This just makes sure the struggle is in the right place.
Signposts. Not the journey.
Where it's going
Curated by people who actually work in the field
Right now, these glossaries are a starting point. The ambition is to go further: each domain curated by someone who has spent years in it. Not a generalist's summary. A practitioner's judgment about which words matter and why.
The best person to tell you which words unlock product management is someone who has shipped products. The best person to curate the cellular connectivity vocabulary is someone who has deployed thousands of SIMs. The knowledge is in the people, not the textbooks.
Are you an expert in your field?
If you have deep knowledge of a domain and want to curate a glossary that carries your name, get in touch. You define the terms that matter. You write the definitions in plain English. Your name and profile go on the page. Your judgment is the product.
This isn't a content farm. It's a small, considered directory that takes vocabulary seriously. The bar is high. The words have to be right.
To talk about curating a glossary: will@alittlebitofknowledge.com
The name
A little learning is a dang'rous thing
Alexander Pope wrote that in 1711. The warning is in the name. A little knowledge makes you confident enough to act, but not wise enough to know what you don't know. That's the joke this site is making at its own expense.
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring. These glossaries are a sip. The domain is the spring. Don't stop here.