“One of the hardest things to do in technology is disrupt yourself.”

Matt mullenweg

Why Context Can Be Both Enemy and Ally

The world teaches context for a reason. It helps us process risk, allocate effort, and navigate uncertainty. But there’s a shadow side. Context also carries bias. Labels like “difficult,” “unsolved,” or “impossible” can become psychological barricades.

There’s a profound irony here. As we gain expertise, we also accumulate belief boundaries. That’s why breakthroughs often come from outsiders, people unencumbered by the assumptions of the field. In physics, Einstein worked as a patent clerk when he wrote his most revolutionary papers. In medicine, Ignaz Semmelweis was dismissed for insisting doctors should wash their hands. In technology, entrepreneurs from Jobs to Musk started with more curiosity than conformity.

Knowledge opens doors, but assumption closes them.