Career Development by Planting Acorns

Richard Hamming gave a famous talk called "You and Your Research" in which he had many great insights on doing world-class work, including this gem:

The great scientists often make this error. They fail to continue to plant the little acorns from which the mighty oak trees grow. They try to get the big thing right off. And that isn't the way things go.

Something to think about when moving to a new project, new role, or an unfamiliar tech stack. Take the time to learn the little things, put in the work, and give those seeds the proper time to grow...