Re:Ask HN: Good Job for a Generalist?
by Mezzie on Wednesday December 22, 2021 @02:28PM
(#29653889)
> The ‘generalist’ who gets good results is either the recipient of privilege, a specialist in something high-value but invisible, or both.
That 'high-value but invisible' thing is often bridging two (or more) arenas or communities that other people don't/can't. You see this in tech and startup founders a lot: Often it's less about their tech skills and more about them having ENOUGH tech skill to combine that with ENOUGH of an understanding of something else to create something wildly successful. Or you have a group that between them all covers those rare connections.
Skills that are rare IN COMBINATION are as valuable as rarer single skills sometimes. A person that is a competent coder and good with people can be pretty valuable in the right contexts. Or a competent coder who has some knowledge in a specialized domain (like medical law or knowledge).
That 'high-value but invisible' thing is often bridging two (or more) arenas or communities that other people don't/can't. You see this in tech and startup founders a lot: Often it's less about their tech skills and more about them having ENOUGH tech skill to combine that with ENOUGH of an understanding of something else to create something wildly successful. Or you have a group that between them all covers those rare connections.
Skills that are rare IN COMBINATION are as valuable as rarer single skills sometimes. A person that is a competent coder and good with people can be pretty valuable in the right contexts. Or a competent coder who has some knowledge in a specialized domain (like medical law or knowledge).