I can speak to this. First, listen to affinity effects, but listen critically. What I mean is: if you find that you just so happen to get along really great w

I can speak to this. First, listen to affinity effects, but listen critically. What I mean is: if you find that you just so happen to get along really great with haberdashers, you find yourself at haberdashery conventions, and you have an ample collection of hats: take note of this! *But let this be one factor among others.* Some of the most important, purposeful years of my life came from people and contexts I didn't think I related to at all. Next, get yourself a bunch of free time and a space to experiment in. Try out stuff you're curious about! For me, it was textile design, music, and calligraphy. I'm terrible at all of these things, but I never would have figured out what I do want to do, which is design & build user interfaces. And when I do, I think a lot about how tailors make garments that feel so good and right and true, but still look amazing. This metaphor informs and enriches my software practice. The key ingredients are time, money, safety, and space. You need time -- no one can experiment if they have only an hour or two of freedom per day. You need money -- no one can experiment without making purchases. You need safety -- it has to be safe to experiment. No one innovates when the consequences of failure are homelessness and death. And finally, you need physical space to house whatever equipment and resources you need for your explorations.