Go with what I know, learn as I go

Learn as you go is the only sane approach. There is just too much knowledge out there, for you to decide what you need to know before hand. You end up filling your mind with useless details which ends up being discouraging.

My approach, "get the big picture first" and get a hold on the vocabulary and words that are involved. Then find a simple example which forms the basis of what you want, and go from there. Now you can start digging for details on how to deal with your immediate problem.