hard steps:
1. getting a planet which is sufficiently massive to retain hydrogen for billions of years, but has a thin enough atmosphere for photosynthesis (we lucked out with the Theia impact shedding most of Earth's early atmosphere), and orbits at a reasonable distance from a stable star.
2. abiogenesis
3. eukaryotes
4. multicellularity
5. evolving enough intelligence to invent radio and build big transmitters before contraception/welfare/medicine induced dysgenics or nukes destroy that capability.

We are living in a simulation; intelligent life is evolutionary common, but not in here.

1st option but also interstellar travel is much more difficult than the "Fermi" paradox scenario expects.