> Just don't settle for being a 'jack', become an expert

Expert in what? There will always be people "more expert" than me in any particular domain (specific tech, hobbies, whatever). At some point, there's diminishing returns in becoming 'expert' in things you don't need to be an expert in, when "competence" is enough.

In many offices, mere competency makes you the default expert.

Sure. Was just pushing back on the "don't settle for jack-of-all-trades - become the expert". Well... that's a never-ending goal. Perhaps I want to be an expert jack-of-all-trades?

I can't be the expert in all things, or even most things I want to be. There's simply not enough time - people with 10 years of experience on me will always be 10 years ahead - and usually that means there's more 'expert' than me on XYZ (not always, time != expertise exactly, but it's often an signal).

Enough to produce something maintainable, that you can be proud of

The problem with becoming an expert is that you greatly limit your marketability and pigeonhole yourself into a small niche. When that niche loses demand, or you want to move someplace where there's no jobs in that niche, you're screwed. A generalist has a much easier time changing jobs and therefore more job security.

The whole point of the arrogance / humility axis is the awareness that there is not a destination to be arrived at named "expert". The DK graph goes up and to the right, to infinity and beyond. We must merely try to do our best, and try again.