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Ask HN: How do you actually make something?

4 points by HiroshiSan ↗ HN
After being two-thirds through my Computer Engineering degree, I've yet to figure out how to make anything. Aside from school assignments I wouldn't know where to begin on a project I've set for myself.

So I ask you, how do you actually take an idea from your head and bring it to fruition?

5 comments

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a3n
I wish I had X.

X looks a little like Y.

To make Y, it looks like you need these many parts.

That's a lot. I'll just use this small handful of essential parts (e.g. no GUI or Web or Mobile, just command line), and make W, an essential subset of X.

I like W, I use it all the time. But most other people would think it's too hard/manual/limited to use.

I'll use what I now know about W, and make X.

Tautologically, the key to making things is to use your experience of making things. Get into the habit of making small useful things for yourself; start as small as you need.

Don't do things manually, make tools to do things.

Then make things.

HiroshiSan
I really appreciate this answer, thank you. I can really see how something can be built up over time to be a substantial project.
jflatow
1. Start

2. Don't stop

HiroshiSan
I feel like this and platitudes like it are only ones that can be understood as a "ah...it really is that simple" once the goal has been reached...which does not help my case.
mswen
I have an overall vision for something that I want to make. A rough outline so to speak. I then start to chunk it up into mini-projects. And, sometimes chunk those down into even smaller collections of tasks. I pick one of those mini-projects and start building it.

I often use paper notebooks and pencil to sketch screen shots, diagram logic flows, create data schemes and more. Then I make lists of things I need to build.

As I get into the details of building the mini-project my thinking clarifies and that gets codified.

I just keep trying to build the next mini-project and connect them together and after awhile the project is "done."