Unclear how to trigger gestures that begin with `i`, like `iw`

[adisidev]

The README lists the following shortcuts that are supposed to begin with i:
iw - in word
i' - in single quotes
i( - in parens
i{ - in braces
i< - in angle brackets
i` - in backticks
i" - in double quotes

However, it is unclear how one should trigger these shortcuts, as pressing i instantly takes us back to insert mode. I tried pressing the second character faster and faster but that did not fix the issue for me.

[quietbrew]

These are meant in the traditional vim sense. Some commands in normal mode like d y c can be modified with i e.g. ciw for "change in word" or di( for "delete stuff in parens".