Leaps are steps at a distance.

You can build something complex without ever doing anything complex. Iterate on one piece, then the next, then the next — look up and find a system with properties none of the pieces had on their own.

The reverse is also true. Any “amazing” equation unwinds into simple legal moves: add a term, balance the sides, factor. What looks like a leap turns out to be a walk.

The leap and the steps are the same thing at two distances. From far away you see the jump; up close, only ever the next step. Practice makes the close view feel obvious. Iteration makes the far view possible.