I write here to clarify my own thinking, not to present myself as an expert or authority on any subject. Some of it will be disjointed as it's a brain dump, not published essays.

Projects are borne out of necessity or curiosity. Either I needed something, or someone I knew did. Or I wanted to understand how something works and building it was the fastest way in. Research yields diminishing returns past a threshold. Getting my hands dirty is just faster feedback loop.