Recently, I read an interview with Gavin Wood and it made me think a lot. He is the co-founder of Ethereum and the creator of Polkadot, and in the three-hour interview, he talked about his career and technical philosophy. What I found particularly interesting was the part about "where innovative ideas come from."

According to Gavin Wood, the ideas for big projects like EVM and Polkadot didn't come about through deliberate planning. Instead, they feel more like existing elements snapping together like puzzle pieces during a walk or while taking a shower. It's completely different from Elon Musk's approach of setting a goal like "going to Mars" first and then working backwards to achieve it.

What’s fascinating is that Gavin Wood’s approach is "incremental innovation." He combines existing knowledge, technologies, fields of mathematics, engineering methods, open-source software, and even abstract concepts like human worldview components to create new value. He adds intellectual creativity into this process.

But here comes the challenge of "pioneers' dilemmas." If you get too far ahead of your time, people may misunderstand you. Gavin Wood himself mentioned that he faces the same problem with the JAM protocol he is currently developing. Because it’s a complex protocol that differs significantly from existing methods, it’s hard for people to understand why they need it or how it’s superior.

That’s why he emphasizes the importance of explaining ideas in words that the market and target audience can understand. A typical example is the internet. In its early days, it spread because of a simple benefit everyone could grasp: "messages take a day now but can be delivered in minutes." The concept of email, which was familiar, helped people immediately recognize the value of the internet.

Personally, I was also struck by Gavin Wood’s stories about his childhood. Growing up in a single-parent household with an abusive father. That experience led to a deep appreciation for a "safe environment." He also talked about the importance of understanding the roots of one’s behavioral patterns. Although he hasn’t undergone psychotherapy himself, he enjoys analyzing and thinking about things.

Gavin Wood also spoke about Japanese culture, which was interesting. He owns a house in Japan and highly values the service spirit and attention to detail there. At the same time, he also loves British pubs, curry, and cheese. These personal backgrounds might influence his technical philosophy as well.

Ultimately, what Gavin Wood wants to say is that pursuing deep intellectual understanding leads to significant progress. Instead of seeking immediate practical results, deepening the foundational understanding can lead to unexpected and major achievements. This also sends a message that long-term perspectives are necessary when developing technology.