The three essentials of creation: what it really takes to build something real

Every great product — whether it’s a piece of art, a mobile app, a new kind of bread, or a business idea — begins with the same three building blocks. It doesn’t matter if you’re crafting furniture by hand or designing a startup from your bedroom. The formula is timeless and universal:

1. Raw Materials
2. Human Effort
3. Tools

It’s simple. But like all simple truths, it’s easy to overlook. Let’s dig into this trinity of creation, because understanding this can shift the way you work, build, and even live.

1. Raw materials – The “what”

No creation comes out of nothing. You always start with something. In the physical world, this could be wood, clay, iron, or wheat. In the digital world, it might be code, data, words, or even pure ideas. These are your ingredients.

Some people spend years waiting for “better materials” — more money, better tech, more connections. But here’s the truth: raw materials are almost never the real limitation. Look around. You already have more than you think. Scarcity is often a mental block, not a material one.

Creativity is turning ordinary stuff into extraordinary meaning.

2. Human effort – The “who”

This is where the soul comes in. Your energy. Your vision. Your sweat, your fire, your mistakes. You can have the finest tools and the rarest materials, but without human involvement — there’s no magic. There’s no birth.

This is the part most people underestimate. They think they’re not good enough, smart enough, skilled enough. But what matters is showing up — with heart, with curiosity, and with the willingness to learn. Effort is often the bridge between idea and impact.

You don’t have to be a genius. You have to be willing to care deeply, and work persistently.

And let’s not forget: effort is also collective. Sometimes it’s about who you work with — the network of minds and hands you bring together. That too, is human capital.

3. Tools – the “how”

Tools are what enable scale, precision, and structure. They can be physical (a hammer, a CNC machine), digital (software, AI), or mental (frameworks, disciplines, methods). Tools help you amplify your ability.

There’s an illusion in today’s world that tools are the answer. As if having the latest gear or most expensive software makes the difference. But that’s not true. Tools are multipliers — they multiply what you bring to the table.

So before buying more tools, ask: What do I really want to make? and What effort am I ready to give? Only then do tools become powerful.

Why this matters in 2025

We’re living in a time where everyone is “building something.” Startups, creators, innovators, rebels. But many feel stuck — as if they’re missing a secret formula.

This is that formula. It’s not sexy. It’s not new. But it works.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Know that if you have:

• something to work with,
• someone (yourself) to do the work,
• and a way to shape it —

you can make something real.
And real things are what the world needs most right now.

Final thought: the soul behind the system

Sometimes people ask me, “What’s the difference between a product that lives and one that dies?”
My answer is always: soul. The invisible ingredient behind all three elements.

Soul fuels the hands. It sees value in raw material. It chooses the right tools not just for efficiency, but for meaning.

So if you’re building — build with soul.
The rest will follow.