What's it like to know a lot of things and be really good at them, but specialize in none?
Imagine what it would be like to know everything...or pretty much many things.
Imagine being so well-versed across vast domains that it's easy for you to not only hold a conversation but also show your prowess and understanding in it.
Concurrently, imagine existing amongst people who are so good at one thing and go all in on it, leaving you questioning your niche.
Sometimes, I feel that way.
I'm a Generalist.
Define "Generalist"
A Generalist is simply a versatile person knowledgeable in many fields. What's interesting about a generalist is their breadth of knowledge in these fields; though a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none, the generalist knows a lot more than the average Joe.
So...not that I just realized that I'm a generalist, but rather accepted myself as one.
How did it feel growing up as a generalist?
Interesting, to say the least.
I've always had this intrinsic sense that I'm interested in many things, and this psyche originates from my early days...say Class 2 (2nd grade) when I was seven.
Math, Science, History, Social Studies, Geography, Physics, Biology - I loved them all.
What's more interesting is that I didn't quite feel 'mentally settled' in a class since some of my knowledge surpassed it, and the rest only caught on a decade later when others knew what I knew.
I credited this mindset to the early conversations I had with my Dad on our way to school, plus the broad exposure to many subjects at a young age. Those were perhaps the formative years of my generalist self to be.
Generalist or Polymath?
I wouldn't consider myself a polymath yet, though, I'd be humbled if I was considered one.
Essentially, the difference between a polymath and a generalist is the depth; while the generalist knows, a polymath knows, does, and contributes. Plus, a polymath doesn't contribute for contribution's sake, but rather to make significant, impactful contributions that potentially revolutionize the entire field.
Generalist x Depth = Polymath
Leo da Vinci, for instance, is a classical polymath in the fields of art, architecture, and literature. Another would be Galileo Galilei, a polymath in physics and astronomy. Some modern-day polymaths would include Elon Musk, a mega-entrepreneur, investor, and engineer, and Mark Cuban, also an entrepreneur, Shark Tank investor, and media mogul.
I wouldn't consider myself a polymath yet because I can't determine my domain depth of expertise to qualify me as so. Like, I know a lot (and I know I know a lot - perhaps why I'm a generalist for the time being), but I don't know how much "a lot" is enough to classify myself as a polymath.
Furthermore, a polymath contributes to these fields; a generalist needn't; I have yet to contribute to these domains, and only God knows the humongous effort it takes to do so. Good thing I don't mind any of that.
Again, you'll be the judge of that. Until then,
I'm happy to be a Renaissance Man, though. 🤗
What would you say are the pros and cons of being a Generalist?
Let's start here: We can't change who we innately are, so we all come with our gifts and our shortcomings, though it's our gifts that we use to make meaning of ourselves in this world.
The same applies to being a Generalist - it has its blessings and its not-so-blessings.
Pros
You're gifted (or at least knowledgeable) in a lot of fields, obviously.
You possess several attributes that build up your character: creativity, curiosity, and open-mindedness, to mention a few.
You're an innate problem-solver; you love to solve problems with your creative acumen and your interdisciplinary approach. I call this crossdimensional problem-solving.
You're agile. Agility can be quite useful in your career, especially when you want to pivot between fields, e.g., from human services to tech to education to consulting. As Indeed puts it, you have an array of transferrable skills that cut across multiple jobs.
Cons
You're in the shadow of the specialist. A Specialist is so good at one thing (two at most) that they make up for their weaknesses by being ultra-world-class in it, gaining most, if not all, of the limelight. Like, you probably won't want to take financial advice from Cristiano Ronaldo. Subpoint: Generalists are likelier to be the behind-the-scenes person to a Specialist. I've been there - a #2 or #3 in places where I could (and should) have been a #1.
Generalists are not (and might possibly never be) as super knowledgeable in one specific domain as Specialists. If a Generalist is in the top 5%-20% of a field, rest assured the Specialist is in the top 0.05%-1% of the same field.
Career-wise, Specialists get paid more than Generalists because the higher (and often more pressing) job roles require solid expertise to thrive. Thus, in a high-stakes job, a Specialist is preferred due to their assuredness in delivering as opposed to the Generalist.
Jack of all trades, master of none, is an actual depiction of a Generalist.
How do you like it so far?
I like it a lot, not gonna lie.
I like the sensation of always learning new things and satisfying my curiosity about them. By my standards, unless I put my heart into it, I wouldn't yet consider myself a subject matter expert in the topics I'm talking about, and I'm readily happy to admit so whenever I opine on something.
What's interesting, however, is that others praise me for my expertise. Many say that they've either learned something new or considered a perspective they never considered before, and that humbles me. I will attribute that to two things:
My self-awareness to admit that I know a topic to an extent- the Dunning-Krueger effect.
I will do my best to candidly explain something from a first-hand perspective. In other words, if I've done something and others ask me about it, I'll first explain what the thing is, then exactly how I did it, and lastly, valid takeaways from it.
Understand that I'm not selling myself short nor underselling myself here - no. Rather, I'm being consciously self-aware and keenly sharing what I learn unless I'm 1,000% confident I'm an SME, in which case I'll let you know.
I'll do what needs doing and teach what needs teaching; I'll let you be the judge of that.
How is it helping you in your career?
A lot.
My skills are not only cross-sectional but also highly transferable, as I can apply them in multiple settings. For instance, if my team needs help with database analysis and I'm the only one with that experience, then I can gladly help them out with whatever sorting is needed. If my group is making a presentation and they need a video, and I'm the only one with such skills, then I can create a video that adds depth to the presentation.
Being a Generalist also encourages my career prospects because I can seamlessly play in different fields. For instance, I remember before I got my current job, when I was considering anywhere for a job; I had prospects in tech, finance, business, and consulting, and finance took the day.
As aforementioned, I can decode my hard skills into soft skills. If I have hard skills in coding, computational math, and team leadership, I can correspond them to soft skills such as rational thought, attention to detail, and communication. So long as I can clearly show (and not just tell) these trajectories, then I can cut it in any field I delve into.
How is being a Generalist helping you build Carerra's Chronicles?
This is the best part. :)
For six years now, Carerra's Chronicles has been my brainchild where I share my ideas and learnings. The only problem was (which now isn't) that I couldn't specialize on what to talk about.
Again, we're in a Specialist's economy, and that's a good thing - you need extreme A-gamers to make the world go round. On the flip side, Generalists aren't super niche, so it can be hard to stand out.
When building Carerra's Chronicles, I could specialize in topics I'm fervently interested in, if I wanted - leadership and personal development. The only problem is that I would be limiting myself to what could be.
One moment, I'm ideating on why technology leadership is important today, and the next could be me dissecting my favorite Alex Hormozi quotes. One minute, I'm exploring the NFT-AI intersect, and the next, I'm imagining a unified Goldman Sachs-JPMorgan transactional blockchain. I don't want to miss out on what else could interest me, and that bothered me for a long time.
A serial blogger would reprimand me for this (that is, after they read this article), but my settling on the fact that I am indeed a Generalist is liberating in itself. I now find satisfaction in knowing that I have diversified interests, and I can thus share my insights on them.
And, in the meantime, that's what Carerra's Chronicles is all about.
Role Modelz: Sahil Bloom & Ali Abdaal
I like the examples set by Sahil Bloom and Ali Abdaal.
Ali started as a medical student at Cambridge University to become a doctor, which he eventually became. Over time, he shared his academic study tips and guides on acing med-school tests, but as his YouTube channel grew during the pandemic, he sought to diversify his interests. Ali would then go on to become the world's leading productivity expert as he shares advice on how to be more productive in your daily doings.
Through his YouTube channel, Ali is more than a productivity expert - he does tech reviews, book summaries, finance and investment tips, and life lessons learned along the way. He is also an avid podcaster as he hosts Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal where he interviews successful people to learn their strategies towards success. Finally, Ali also hosts the Part-Time YouTuber Academy (PTYA) where he teaches aspiring YouTubers to kickstart their channels and grow their niches on the platform.
Needless to say, Ali is a Generalist (and probably a Polymath) in his own right.
Sahil Bloom would be another person I can consider a Generalist.
Currently an investor, entrepreneur, and creator, Sahil is one who likes exploring his curiosity and sharing his knowledge with the world. Interestingly enough, he started out as a baseball pitcher in his Stanford Baseball Team (I'd assume he still plays today.) He also had the privilege of being a mentee of Tim Cook, the current Apple CEO.
Sahil has extensive leadership experience, having served as a board member in four companies and the current Vice President of Altamont Capital Partners.
Sahil is also an educator whose mission is to demystify financial concepts and make them available to everyone. He believes that the current financial education system is set up to protect insiders, creating structural inequalities. This is why he is mostly pervasive on X where he mostly educates the masses on his learnings. He is one to condense complex financial information into understandable and digestible tidbits.
Sahil would be considered a generalist in the sense that not only are his interests diversified, but he is excelling at them - finance, venture capitalism, investing, education, content creation, and leadership. He crafts his brand around these subjects and leverages that to share his ideas and inspire the world that way.
By these criteria, I feel like I relate well enough to both Ali and Sahil.
Any advice to other Generalists?
Honestly, just be yourself.
It's an interesting spot to be in because the world is radically advancing daily, creating room for specialists to thrive in. However, when you think about it, you as a Generalist are in a good spot too.
Hypothetically imagine that if a specialist is in the top 0.01% of experts in doing something, consider yourself in the top 5% of the same category (or 20% at worst.)
I also learned that it's good to be a 'specialized generalist' as per Tim Ferriss. By this, you have an advantage in choosing two distinct fields you're interested in, finding the intersection, and capitalizing on it. Think:
Computer Science and Law to be a Legal Tech Consultant
Biological Research and Art to be a Medical Illustrator
Mathematics and Music to be a Music Data Analyst
And so many more.
What's more interesting is that a Generalist is one to thrive (and survive) in the upcoming digital renaissance because of the need for interdimensional problem-solving. Like, the world will evolve so rapidly that not only will one need field knowledge in different domains to connect the dots, but also hone the adaptability needed to navigate uncertainty as per HBR.
In the upcoming digital economy, one will need massive skills to sustain oneself through the ever-evolving economy - a testament to why self-education remains a must-have today.
I'll leave you with some additional videos for reference, but yeah, being a Generalist is a good position to be in, so kick it!
Conclusion
Now that that's out of the way, I'm finally happy to be a generalist.
I'll hold on to my generalist ideals and use that to tune Carerra's Chronicles.
If I'm to specialize in anything, it's to specialize in generalism or weirdly specializing in as many things as possible. It may be unreasonable to some extent, but it won't stop me from sharing what I learn in all that I learn. Other than that we'll see how things emanate he has to come from this decision.
Cheers to all the generalists in this world; the best times are yet to come. 🥂💯
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~T.K.K
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