Reading this as a working mom juggling a lot of responsibilities, the point about depth over constantly chasing the newest tools really stuck with me. There’s always pressure to keep up with everything but sometimes the better move is slowing down and understanding the fundamentals. That mindset feels a lot more sustainable when your time and energy are limited. Thank you Idris Elijah for sharing this perspective today!
You know Maria, you make a great point here. This mindset is sustainable, especially considering that our energies are limited. Our attention is also limited. Chasing trends is exhausting otherwise. In this case, less really is more. 🤓🤩🤗
I’m not a developer but the core idea translated for me immediately. In music production you can rely on presets and plugins or you can understand what compression, EQ and signal flow are actually doing. Both approaches can make a song. Only one gives you real control when something isn’t working. It’s interesting to see that same dynamic show up in software too. Really enjoyed this one Idris Elijah!
What stood out to me was the idea that trends move fast but foundations move slowly. That applies to more than tech. It’s easy to stay busy chasing the newest tools, ideas, or strategies because it creates the feeling of momentum. But the people who seem the most confident in any field usually understand the fundamentals deeply enough that new tools don’t intimidate them. I echo the other comments here in saying that this was an interesting and thought provoking issue. Thank you Idris!
This resonated with me from a writing perspective. It’s easy to focus on surface tools like formats, platforms and trends and feel like you’re making progress. But the real growth always seems to come from understanding the deeper mechanics of storytelling itself. Structure. Character movement. Why something lands emotionally. That line about recipes versus cooking makes so much sense. Tools change but the underlying principles stay. Thank you Idris Elijah for a really thoughtful newsletter!
You’re so welcome. Love these takeaways. Right as rain. It’s important to know the basics because then you can use any tool. It’s really about taste and making choices that align with your identity creatively. Thanks for sharing your perspective. 🤩🤗🤩
I also saw that you picked up a copy of my ebook, thank you! 🙏🏾
Can’t wait to see what you do and how you feel after reading it. 🤓
Thank you Idris Elijah for all the great content you provide to us here! Happy to support your work and will have some time to read the ebook this weekend!
This actually reminded me a lot of art. You can learn a hundred techniques or styles but if you don’t understand fundamentals like composition, balance and light things fall apart when you try to create something on your own. Frameworks versus systems felt very similar to that idea. Tools are helpful but real confidence comes from understanding what’s happening underneath them. I enjoyed this perspective a lot. Thank you Idris Elijah for teaching me something new today!
You’re so welcome!! So pleased this issue landed with you guys. Wasn’t sure it would. Nevertheless, I love the points you make here with art. Definitely another parallel I’m pleased you sussed out. 🤗🤗🤗
Reading this as a working mom juggling a lot of responsibilities, the point about depth over constantly chasing the newest tools really stuck with me. There’s always pressure to keep up with everything but sometimes the better move is slowing down and understanding the fundamentals. That mindset feels a lot more sustainable when your time and energy are limited. Thank you Idris Elijah for sharing this perspective today!
You know Maria, you make a great point here. This mindset is sustainable, especially considering that our energies are limited. Our attention is also limited. Chasing trends is exhausting otherwise. In this case, less really is more. 🤓🤩🤗
I’m not a developer but the core idea translated for me immediately. In music production you can rely on presets and plugins or you can understand what compression, EQ and signal flow are actually doing. Both approaches can make a song. Only one gives you real control when something isn’t working. It’s interesting to see that same dynamic show up in software too. Really enjoyed this one Idris Elijah!
So pleased you saw the parallels between development and music production. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks Brooke!! 😎🤗🤩
What stood out to me was the idea that trends move fast but foundations move slowly. That applies to more than tech. It’s easy to stay busy chasing the newest tools, ideas, or strategies because it creates the feeling of momentum. But the people who seem the most confident in any field usually understand the fundamentals deeply enough that new tools don’t intimidate them. I echo the other comments here in saying that this was an interesting and thought provoking issue. Thank you Idris!
You get it! So pleased you do. You said it best, when you know the fundamentals deeply, you can use any tool. Great insights 🤩🤩🤩
This resonated with me from a writing perspective. It’s easy to focus on surface tools like formats, platforms and trends and feel like you’re making progress. But the real growth always seems to come from understanding the deeper mechanics of storytelling itself. Structure. Character movement. Why something lands emotionally. That line about recipes versus cooking makes so much sense. Tools change but the underlying principles stay. Thank you Idris Elijah for a really thoughtful newsletter!
You’re so welcome. Love these takeaways. Right as rain. It’s important to know the basics because then you can use any tool. It’s really about taste and making choices that align with your identity creatively. Thanks for sharing your perspective. 🤩🤗🤩
I also saw that you picked up a copy of my ebook, thank you! 🙏🏾
Can’t wait to see what you do and how you feel after reading it. 🤓
Thank you Idris Elijah for all the great content you provide to us here! Happy to support your work and will have some time to read the ebook this weekend!
Excellent! Godspeed 🤓🤗🤩
This actually reminded me a lot of art. You can learn a hundred techniques or styles but if you don’t understand fundamentals like composition, balance and light things fall apart when you try to create something on your own. Frameworks versus systems felt very similar to that idea. Tools are helpful but real confidence comes from understanding what’s happening underneath them. I enjoyed this perspective a lot. Thank you Idris Elijah for teaching me something new today!
You’re so welcome!! So pleased this issue landed with you guys. Wasn’t sure it would. Nevertheless, I love the points you make here with art. Definitely another parallel I’m pleased you sussed out. 🤗🤗🤗