If you don't mind elaborating a bit, how deep do you have to get into a project before you get past the point of experimenting? Is there value in moving away f

If you don't mind elaborating a bit, how deep do you have to get into a project before you get past the point of experimenting? Is there value in moving away from notebooks all together while you are still learning? Do these comments apply to platforms such as MyBinder or Jupyterhub? Finally,(other than Grus, he is excellent) are there any resources, people, or websites you would recommend for maintaining a sterile workflow or for general knowledge? Thanks.