Knowledge Trees
You learn better when you start with the trunk rather than the leaves. In other words, go broad before you go deep. That's why Scott Young prefers a textbook or survey course as the primary resource for exploring a new domain. Once you internalize first principles, it's easier to recognize them in new contexts and apply them to your particular problem:
https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2026/09/21/you-should-care-less-about-practical-advice/