Independent but not alone - have a buddy

One thing I've seen people conflate is "Independent" and "Alone". Especially at work.

Having a project and working on it by yourself doesn't mean that no one else should be involved. There are multiple ways how others could help without directly working on the project. In fact, I always recommend project leaders to have a project buddy. Even if they're the only person who is going to design, execute and own, it helps to have someone to discuss the project. The buddy's involvement can vary from just listening (a.k.a. "rubber ducking") to suggesting some relevant resources or proposing design modifications.

Beyond having someone helping the person with the project, they're also helping simply by being there. Unfortunately, I talked with too many people --- and have had this experience --- when working on a solo project, there just wasn't anyone to talk to. This could be due to working on a completely unrelated project (such as a proof of concept), others being busy, or being paired with someone with whom you have only "tolerable" interactions.

All this comes from a few past experiences when with managers we were allocating projects. There's a common argument that if a person owns a project end to end they'll grow. Especially, when it comes to not-super-senior folks, it should force them to fully understand the problem and have enough time to come up with a solution. No doubt that this works for many folks; however, the majority struggles.

Some juniors want to show how great they are and will grind through until the result is shown, even if that means recreating a lot of existing components because they just didn't bother to learn about them. Conversely, some seniors may not admit they don't know something since "they've worked here for 5 years and don't know this trivial thing." As a result, they become defensive on their designs and find excuses why someone's eventual review doesn't make sense. And, some individuals are simply not cut for leading a project.

Such risks can be avoided by having a good buddy, someone who understands the struggle, have worked in conditions before, and can listen to all kinds of cues.

Then the question becomes how to find a good buddy. Some are better at this than others but this is a learnable skill. The best approach is learning from your own experience. Working on a multiple independent project with a buddy and noting what makes you not feel alone.