This isn't gospel. This is just my opinion based on observations I've made from working with or against people that are considered "great". You don't know what

This isn't gospel. This is just my opinion based on observations I've made from working with or against people that are considered "great". You don't know what you don't know. Someone could say something with shocking clarity, that not only answers a question, but answers it in such a way that you understand a seemingly complex problem right away. The person that answers that question could be perceived as having an expert level of knowledge on said subject, but in reality they might have been in your position mere months ago and just happened to come across the answer. They might only know a fraction more than you do on a subject, but knowing that one thing makes it all fall into place. Ultimately, it comes down to having the right experience. Someone could design a fantastic API and be lauded as a great architect, but this could be the first success from a long line of failures. The best thing I can suggest, from my own experience, is to decide what you want to learn, and to work towards getting experience in said subject. Reaching "that" level is hard, because the goal-posts always change. As I said at the start, "you don't know what you don't know".