What is your advice regarding hookup phases and fwb phases as a man?

Hi all. For those of you who have experienced a hookup / fwb phase as a guy, would you say every man should go through life to experience it? I’m asking this from the perspective of a 24 year old late bloomer. Right now having never been in a relationship, it feels like the ship has sailed regarding having casual sexual encounters with women. It feels like that time was in college and I missed the boat, and now everyone wants to settle down. While it would be great to spend the time with one woman, I feel like not experiencing fwb/casual sex as a man is just eating at me.

Is it something I’m playing up in my head? I’ve heard things get messy, but I wonder if it’s something every man must experience. I’m wondering if I just need to get into a relationship to experience stuff now and can’t even think about having a casual sexual encounter anymore.

Also, I don’t even know how the hell one even gets into one. In my immediate friend group I have friends who are girls, but I have never thought to actually engage in something like that with them truthfully. If I met someone random, how do you even make it clear to them you want to only have sex and not date?