I'd say the key insight that I see on #4 is that people do not consider libraries code. They consider it black box. It is the same urge that causes teams to label a code base they have taken over "legacy" and "in need of rewrite."
Sometimes, the answer is to dive in an seek to understand it. Now, that may end up meaning that you fork the tool or contribute back to it. It may mean that you choose to build anyway, and it may mean that you come back understanding it. However, if a library is not working for you, the slowest answer is often the one where you fiddle with it until it's working without taking the time to dive in.
Sometimes, the answer is to dive in an seek to understand it. Now, that may end up meaning that you fork the tool or contribute back to it. It may mean that you choose to build anyway, and it may mean that you come back understanding it. However, if a library is not working for you, the slowest answer is often the one where you fiddle with it until it's working without taking the time to dive in.