Wouldn't it be fair to say that one has to know what the current path is and have some idea where it leads and what its issues are, before forging a new path?

I mean, any idiot can go off-trail and start blundering around in the weeds, and ultimately wind up tripping, falling, hitting their head on a rock, and drowning to death in a ditch. But actually finding a new, better, more efficient path probably involves at least some understanding of the status quo.