In What Ways Have I Failed in a Similar Way?

In What Ways Have I Failed in a Similar Way?

Published: November 4, 2025 • 4 min read

Two nights ago, I created a todo list for yesterday, just like every other night. My plan was to record the video to launch version 1.0 of the French Writing Playground, edit the video, post it, then make a blog post about it.

Well, I regret to inform you that this is not the blog post I planned to post this morning.

When Knowledge Isn't Enough

I recorded the video all right. Then it came to the editing, and DaVinci Resolve was driving me crazy. DaVinci Resolve was lagging, and editing (which is normally a pleasure to me as it's a form of creation and I love creating things) was simply torturous.

I kept thinking... but I had watched a comprehensive 5-hour DaVinci Resolve tutorial and thought I was prepared. I assumed that knowledge alone would be enough. But knowing the advanced features didn't help when I hadn't set up the basics, like creating proxy files to prevent lag.

Then I closed DaVinci Resolve and went on a rage walk. I hated the fact that finalizing this video was taking so long. Then I came back, restarted my computer, and tried again. It was good for a few minutes, and then it wasn't. Same lagging issue.

The Humbling Solution

Then I switched to some other item on my todo list, and while doing that, I thought: Hmm, maybe I should just Google it. Then I did, and I found a few short videos addressing the issue with instructions on how to resolve this.

Now I no longer have the lagging issue.

The Real Lesson

But this experience got me really thinking about something: How many times have I made or created something so impressive (perhaps really long, like a 5-hour video that captures very important information or solves really important problems) but I forgot to ensure that any initial barriers were accounted for?

It really put into perspective why thoroughly thinking from the user's perspective (and not just from the creator's) is very important when creating either content or building solutions. I need to focus on reducing friction and not just adding features. My expertise will only be obvious if I can anticipate barriers and not just build or show off impressive functionalities.

Of course, this is no shade to the 5-hour video. It really was so comprehensive and contained everything most people, including me, needed to know. However, the lesson I have learned (or rather the questions I am pondering) still remains.

The Question I'll Keep Asking

As I continue along my SDR Era, I will keep asking myself daily as a creator, software engineer, solutions builder, etc.: "Am I building impressive features while missing friction points?"

If I am, I hope with every product I put out on here, I become better and better.

P.S. The irony isn't lost on me that I'm writing about reducing friction while my video editing workflow was full of it. But that's the point, isn't it? Growth happens when you catch yourself making the exact mistake you're trying to avoid. Now, back to launching that French Writing Playground v1.0.

Thanks for reading!