Inventing on Principle - My Key Takeaways

So recently, I’ve found myself watching Bret Victor’s talk titled Inventing on Principle. It’s one of those thought-provoking talks that leaves you with more than just insights from an expert. I find it challenges your perspective on things, such as why you create and what drives innovation. It’s having me question and rethink how I approach my work. I daresay it’s not just another presentation by someone just for the sake of it. Watching it, I found myself reflecting on my motivations as a developer, period. Bret dives into what and why we create and the driving force behind it.

Bret Victor is a designer, computer scientist, electrical engineer, and thinker known for his visionary ideas on the future of technology, especially in the areas of human-computer interaction and programming. He is known best for this talk, as well as haven helped design innovative interfaces at Apple, including some early concepts that influenced the iPad.

Having watched the talk, here are a few key lessons that I thought would be worth sharing, especially if you’re a developer, designer, or just someone who loves to make things.

Victor’s big idea is that you should have a guiding principle—a core belief that drives what you do. He talked about the importance of making sure creators have an immediate connection with what they’re building. In the talk, he showed how you can manipulate code and see the results instantly, which makes the whole process way more visually intuitive and, simply, fun.

This begged the question, Why do I build stuff? What’s my driving force? It’s not just about getting things to work; I believe it’s about understanding what I value and how that shapes the things I create. Having a principle gives you direction and keeps you going when things get tough.

For me, one of the coolest things Victor pointed out is that great inventions come from basically trying to solve real problems that matter to people. He demonstrated how instant feedback in coding was more about empowering creators to learn fast and experiment, than it was about being just a flashy feature.

At this point, I had to stop and ask myself: When I’m building something, does it actually make someone’s life easier? Essentially, if what you’re building isn’t helping people in some way, then what’s the point?

The live-coding demos was an eye-opener. Victor showed how tweaking a line of code could instantly change what’s on the screen. No need to hit "run," or even execute a script. It was just there, openly visible. And for me this wasn’t just about coding; it was about creativity in general.

It made me realize how much time I waste on feedback loops that are either way too slow or non-existent. Whether it’s coding, or doing something else, finding ways to get instant feedback helps me stay in the zone and keeps me experimenting without need for interruption. Being able to minimize the back-and-forth means you can stay creative and productive for longer.

Victor mentions how most tools force you to think in a way that doesn’t align with how you naturally come up with your ideas. He believes in making sure the tools don’t hinder your creativity.

Another thinking moment for me here. How many times have I been frustrated by the tools I’m using? I’ve lost count at this point. No matter which tool it is, I have to ask: “Is it helping me, or slowing me down? The easier the experience of using said tool, the more likely I am to follow through on my ideas uninterrupted.

Victor was generous in giving examples of innovators like Alan Kay and Douglas Engelbart, who as he put it, didn’t just create because they could—they did it because they believed in something bigger, ad not just trying to chase after trends. The belief in something bigger was more than evident.

My takeaway? Don’t just build things for the sake of it, or simply because everyone else is doing it. Stick to your principles, even if others find them unpopular or ahead of their time. “Real innovation happens when you stay true to what you believe in, not when you follow the crowd.”

Final Thoughts

I find the entire talk to be more than just a talk about cool tech—it’s a call to action for creators. Finding what drives you, sticking to your principles, and using your work to empower others. The biggest takeaway for me is that creating isn’t just about solving problems; it’s about solving the right problems and having your work align with your values.

Hopefully, after reading this, you find it interesting enough to go and watch the talk all by yourself, if you haven’t done so already. It just might change you approach to work, even if by a little bit.