Stop Asking Recipes for Success

The Question I Keep Hearing

“How do I become a senior engineer?”

“What’s the roadmap to CTO?”

“Can you share your system for X?”

Here’s my answer: There is no recipe.

And if you’re looking for one, you’re asking the wrong question.

The Hard Truth

You want a step-by-step guide. A proven framework. A checklist you can follow.

I get it. I’ve been there.

But here’s what I learned after building systems, scaling teams, and creating things that didn’t exist before:

The people who succeed don’t follow recipes. They figure it out.

Not because they’re smarter. Not because they know some secret.

Because they’re willing to do the uncomfortable work of learning how to learn.

How AI Agents Work (And What They Can Teach You)

Think about how an AI agent solves a problem it’s never seen before.

It doesn’t have a manual. It doesn’t wait for instructions.

Here’s what it does:

1. Identifies the goal , What needs to be done?
2. Finds the tools , What’s available to work with?
3. Wields the tools , How do these work?
4. Masters the tools , Which combinations work best?
5. Completes the job , Ships the solution

No recipe. Just process.

The Four-Stage Path (That Everyone Skips)

When you ask “how do I do X,” what you’re really asking is: “Can someone skip stages 1–3 for me?”

The answer is no.

Here’s what you actually need to do:

Stage 1: Find the Tools

The question isn’t “how do I do this?”

The question is “what tools exist that might help?”

When I wanted to automate my content workflow, I didn’t ask someone for a recipe.

I asked: What tools do people use for writing? For publishing? For cross-platform distribution?

Then I researched:

• Markdown editors
• Static site generators
• API integrations
• CLI tools
• Scripting languages

I didn’t need to master all of them yet. I just needed to know they existed.

Your job in Stage 1: Build a mental inventory of what’s possible.

Stage 2: Wield the Tools

Knowing tools exist isn’t enough. You need to use them badly at first.

This is the stage most people skip. They want to go straight from “I found the tool” to “I’m an expert.”

That’s not how it works.

I spent weeks writing terrible Python scripts. Scripts that broke. Scripts that were inefficient. Scripts that did one thing and one thing only.

But I was wielding the tool.

Each time I wrote a bad script, I learned:

• How the syntax worked
• What the common patterns were
• Where I got stuck
• What I needed to learn next

Your job in Stage 2: Be okay with sucking at something new.

Stage 3: Master the Tools

Mastery doesn’t mean “know everything.” It means know enough to solve the problems you actually have.

I’ll never be a Python expert. But I know enough to:

• Parse markdown files
• Call APIs
• Manipulate strings
• Automate file operations
• Build simple CLI tools

That’s enough for 80% of what I need.

The remaining 20%? I look it up when I need it.

Your job in Stage 3: Get to “good enough for my use case,” then ship.

Stage 4: Do the Job

This is where most people realize they never actually defined the job.

“I want to learn Python” isn’t a job. It’s a tool.

“I want to automate my publishing workflow” is a job.

“I want to build a CLI tool that processes drafts” is a job.

“I want to become a better engineer” isn’t a job. It’s a vague aspiration.

“I want to design a system that handles 10x traffic” is a job.

The job defines which tools you need. The tools don’t define the job.

Your job in Stage 4: Know what you’re actually trying to build.

What If the Tool Doesn’t Exist?

Then you build it.

This is where most people give up. They hit a wall where no existing tool does exactly what they need, and they stop.

But the best engineers don’t stop. They improvise:

Option 1: Combine existing tools

• Can you chain two tools together?
• Can you use a tool in a way it wasn’t designed for?
• Can you build a thin wrapper around something that exists?

Option 2: Build the missing piece

• What’s the smallest thing you could build that solves this?
• Can you hack together a prototype in a weekend?
• Can you build 80% of what you need and live with the gaps?

Option 3: Change the problem

• Do you actually need this tool?
• Is there a different approach that uses tools you already have?
• Can you solve a slightly different problem that’s easier?

I’ve built dozens of small tools over my career. None of them are perfect. Most of them are held together with duct tape and prayer.

But they work. And that’s all that matters.

The Real Recipe

If you really want a recipe, here it is:

1. Define the job clearly , What are you actually trying to do?
2. Research what exists , What tools could help?
3. Pick one and start , Don’t wait for the perfect tool
4. Suck at it for a while , This is normal
5. Get to “good enough” , Ship before you’re ready
6. Build what’s missing , If no tool exists, make one
7. Repeat , Every project teaches you something new

That’s it. That’s the whole recipe.

The problem is, reading this won’t help you. You have to do it.

Why Most People Don’t Do This

Because it’s uncomfortable.

It’s easier to ask someone for a step-by-step guide.

It’s easier to follow a tutorial.

It’s easier to wait for someone to hand you the answer.

But here’s the thing:

The people handing out answers learned by not having answers.

They figured it out. You can too.

The Questions You Should Be Asking

Instead of “How do I do X?” ask:

• “What tools exist for X?” → Research
• “How does this tool work?” → Experimentation
• “What am I actually trying to build?” → Clarity
• “What’s the simplest version of this?” → Scope
• “Can I ship this today?” → Bias to action

These questions force you to think like an agent: autonomous, tool-driven, goal-oriented.

The Mindset Shift

Stop waiting for permission.

Stop waiting for a recipe.

Stop waiting for someone to tell you exactly what to do.

Start building. Even if you don’t know how.

Find tools. Wield tools. Master tools. Do the job.

And if there’s no tool? Build one.

That’s the only recipe that matters.

What’s Next?

You have a choice.

You can close this article and keep asking people for recipes.

Or you can pick one thing you want to build, spend 30 minutes researching what tools exist, and start using one badly.

The second option is scarier. It’s also the only one that works.

What are you going to build?

Key Takeaways

• There is no recipe , Success comes from figuring it out, not following instructions
• Think like an AI agent , Identify goals, find tools, experiment, ship
• Four stages: Find tools → Wield tools → Master tools → Do the job
• Master = “good enough” , You don’t need to be an expert, just effective
• Build what’s missing , If no tool exists, create it yourself
• The real recipe: Define the job, research tools, start using them, ship before perfect