Most things don't stick around. Walk into any store, scroll through any playlist or browse any museum - you'll find thousands of creations. But only a handful survive decades, let alone centuries.

What fascinates me isn't just the final product, but the countless small decisions that led there. Watch any behind-the-scenes footage of a great film and you'll see directors obsessing over tiny details most viewers will never consciously notice. But somehow, we feel them.

People often try to reverse-engineer success. "If I just follow these exact steps that worked for someone else..." But that's missing the point entirely. Context matters. Who you are matters. What worked for Maniratnam in 1990s won't necessarily work for a filmmaker in 2025.

Great work isn't about copying decisions - it's about understanding principles. When you adapt someone else's ideas, you're not xeroxing their choices. You're translating their core insights into your reality. It comes down to two simple things: deeply understanding your specific situation, and being honest about who you are and what you can execute. No shortcuts. No formulas. Just clear thinking and hard questions.

The real work is in meeting people who challenge your assumptions and asking questions that make you uncomfortable. That's where the good stuff happens.