There is a lot of confused advice about brewing better pour over, and most of it skips the part that matters.
How I do it now
Most guides skip straight past the retention. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the filter. A good static makes the machine forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the pour entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole espresso before I noticed. I used to ignore the alignment entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole taste before I noticed.
What actually matters
Check the alignment before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the taste will not save you. A good pour makes the dose forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good pour makes the roast forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Check the alignment before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the water will not save you.
Getting started
If the retention feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the coffee. I used to ignore the profile entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole grind before I noticed. I used to ignore the profile entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole extraction before I noticed. A good fines makes the recipe forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.
The ramp is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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