A dwarf sees farther than the giant when he has the giant’s shoulder to mount on.

Position matters more than raw ability in deciding how far you can see. Somebody of ordinary talent starting from everything already worked out will get further than a brilliant person starting from nothing, because the accumulated work does most of the lifting. That is not a slight on either of them. It is a reason to spend your effort finding the shoulders rather than proving you could have climbed unaided.

Before you tackle something from first principles, spend an afternoon on who has already solved a version of it. Read their account, use their tools, ask them directly. Originality is better spent on the part nobody has done.