I’ve observed only two leading indicators of someone developing and then mastering a skill –
i) Obsession: Obsession is driven by a combination of a) an intrinsic desire to get better at the craft and b) commitment. I’ve found intrinsic aptitude to be highly correlated to obsession and that obsession makes it easy to put in the hours required to hone our skills. Long hours don’t feel long when you are obsessed about something.
ii) A willingness to adapt based on quality feedback: The quicker the response to quality feedback, the steeper the learning curve.
Applies to developing our skills in building products, playing a sport, or even parenting kids.
