[jiggawatts]

I follow advice I heard decades ago (by I think John Carmack): Implement it yourself and then throw it away.

This is a great way to learn why libraries and tools like compilers are the way they are.

I practiced this in the late 90s by making my own 3D maths library and my own “standard” library.

I ended up using the built-in 3D maths in DirectX and the C++ STL in the commercial game engine code I worked on later. But having practiced on my own libraries helped me understand the standard ones a lot better.