The Art of Figuring It Out
The Art of Figuring It Out
So this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently.
The whole idea of “figuring it out.”
See, growing up we always thought that at some point, we’d figure everything out. Like one day we’d wake up and just… know things. Know what we want, how to get it, what to do next.
But that day never really comes, does it?
Instead, you’re just kinda winging it most of the time. And honestly, I think that’s fine.
The Realization
When I actually figure something out, it’s never from sitting around thinking about it. It’s from:
- Doing stuff
- Trying things and failing
- Talking to people
- Getting uncomfortable
You don’t figure it out in your head. You figure it out by going through stuff.
A Personal Example
When I started building Razr, I had no idea how to build a desktop app. I knew React, I knew some Node.js, but Electron? Never touched it.
Did I sit down and study Electron for weeks? Nope.
I just started building. Googled things as I hit them. Broke things. Fixed them. Broke them again.
Three days later, I had a working desktop app that could clip YouTube videos using AI.
I didn’t “know” how to do it when I started. I figured it out along the way.
The Pattern
This pattern shows up everywhere:
Learning to drive? You don’t figure it out by reading the manual. You get in the car, stall a few times, and suddenly you’re on the highway.
First job? Nobody knows what they’re doing on day one. You fake it for a bit, ask questions, make mistakes, and one day you realize… you’ve got it.
Building something new? You start with zero clues and somehow, piece by piece, it comes together.
The weird part is, once you’ve figured something out, there’s always the next thing you don’t understand. And that never stops.
The Truth
So maybe “figuring it out” isn’t really a destination. It’s more like… just getting good enough at dealing with the unknown.
That’s the skill.
Not having all the answers. Just knowing you’ll somehow figure it out when you need to.
Why This Matters
Because if you wait until you “know enough” to start something, you’ll be waiting forever.
The people who seem like they have it all figured out? They don’t. They’re just comfortable with not knowing. They’ve trained themselves to trust the process:
- Start with what you know
- Hit a wall
- Figure it out
- Repeat
The Comfort
Which honestly, is kinda comforting.
Because it means you don’t need to have it all sorted. You don’t need a 5-year plan or a perfect roadmap.
You just need to trust that when the time comes, you’ll figure it out.
And you will. You always have.