That 'Coming-of-Age' Feeling in Tech: Why Building AI and Blockchain Makes Us Uncomfortably Seen

A recent review of a point-and-click adventure game, Perfect Tides: Station to Station, struck a chord, not just for its narrative brilliance but for an uncanny parallel it draws to the world we inhabit as founders, builders, and engineers. The game’s protagonist, Mara, a young writer navigating a new city, is depicted with a “piercing specificity” in her awkwardness and social anxiety. This isn't just about relatable biographical details; it's about the unsettling feeling of being "uncomfortably seen" in her deeply specific struggles.

Doesn't that resonate with the journey of innovation, especially in the nascent, high-stakes fields of AI and blockchain?

Consider the early days of any groundbreaking project. Whether you're wrestling with the opaque potential of a new generative AI model or architecting a decentralized application on an unproven chain, there's an inherent awkwardness. It's the "middle of nowhere" feeling when your vision is clear to you, but an incoherent babble to everyone else. You're trying to articulate a future that doesn't quite exist yet, often feeling like Mara in her new city – a little out of place, misunderstood, and grappling with the unknown. This initial social anxiety isn't about shyness; it's the professional vulnerability of putting a nascent idea, an unrefined prototype, or an untested thesis out into a skeptical world.

But then comes the "piercing specificity" that only real-world feedback can provide. Unlike a game where characters are drawn with sharp writing, in tech, that sharpness comes from data, user interviews, market validation, and the cold, hard logic of code. Your AI model underperforms on edge cases. Your blockchain's gas fees are prohibitive. Users drop off at a critical step. These aren't vague criticisms; they are precise, sometimes brutal, insights that cut straight to the core of your assumptions and execution. Like Mara, you feel seen – not always in a flattering light, but with an uncomfortable clarity that exposes every flaw, every design misstep, every moment of self-doubt. This level of scrutiny can be jarring, but it's also the forge where true resilience and exceptional products are hammered out.

The game’s “minimalist mechanics” and focus on conversations also offer a profound lesson for builders. In the complex ecosystems of AI and blockchain, it’s easy to get lost in technical grandeur. But often, the most impactful innovations arise from a minimalist approach: focusing on core value propositions, stripping away unnecessary complexity, and most importantly, engaging in deep, empathetic conversations. With users, with team members, with stakeholders – these dialogues are the bedrock. They reveal the specific pain points and unmet needs that your AI or blockchain solution must address. They are the narrative beats that drive your product's "coming-of-age."

Ultimately, the journey of building in AI and blockchain is a deeply personal one, a professional coming-of-age story. It’s about more than just algorithms or ledgers; it’s about the human element – the founders, the engineers, the visionaries – navigating uncertainty, embracing constructive criticism, and growing through often uncomfortable revelations. When your code fails, when your hypothesis is debunked, or when a competitor innovates faster, you are being "seen" in your efforts, your shortcomings, and your potential.

Instead of shying away from these moments, perhaps we should embrace them. That feeling of being uncomfortably seen in our struggles, our specific quirks, and our evolving understanding is not a weakness. It is, in fact, the raw, unfiltered input necessary for genuine innovation, for building products that truly resonate, and for shaping a future that addresses real-world needs with authentic solutions. It's where the most compelling stories, both in games and in tech, truly begin.