I had so many interests growing up and I couldn't decide which one to pursue: psychology, electronic music, photography, computer science... so, I decided to pursue all of them. I did my degree in psychology and my masters in research methods, worked as a photographer on the side and made music and websites for fun. I ended up working as a Data Engineer for an audio focused machine learning company, capitalising on 3/4 of my interests. It doesn't even feel like a job.
You have an inspiring story. I’m a guitarist with a kinesiology degree who taught him self app development while substitute teaching after I injured myself working as a personal trainer. Growth seems real slow, but I know a wide basket to draw from will help me as I learn how to focus
1. Specialized Generalist = combined two or valuable skills (the rarer, the better) 2. General meta skills that have high multipliers: public speaking, writing, negotiating. 3. Winning even if you fail = approach projects as opportunity to develop skills and relationships, this creates positive returns via success on projects, even if you "fail" in the short term
Long story short: being a specialist makes sense only if you're extremely good at what you do. If you're not, it's better to be a "specialized generalist", which means that you should combine several valuable skills, but not too many. The more rare the combination, the more successful you can be. Tim suggests three easy add-ons to whatever you do: public speaking, writing, and negotiating. Another tip from Tim: win, even if you lose. Use the skills you learned and the relationships you built during the launch of a relatively "failed" product to be more productive in the future. Projects come and go, but skills and relationships with good people stay with you.
I remember our microbiology lecturer told us that he had a medical degree, pilot license, was a firefighter once, and currently now a lecturer by day, DJ by night and he is also a tea entrepreneur. my module chair who was another one of our Lecturers, was a PHD scientist, but after he left the research industry after a while and joined a national team to be a professional cyclist for a year or so, then he started his fish farm business (and he was earning big bucks from it) but left because of partners dispute. On the side of everything, he plays violin, guitar, cello, and piano and he used to develop photos as a hobby when he was younger. So anyways, he got bored and decided to become a lecturer because apparently teaching teenagers is entertainment to him 😂 but it was v insightful every time he tells us his stories becos he came from a v poor background w a messy childhood but he took in every opportunity to better himself. Now, he’s pretty rich and could easily retire years ago
Many of these examples don’t reflect the current competition in the market. A master/PhD graduate nowadays has to accept an undergraduate salary just to be employed. Running businesses are good but usually we need the initial boost/network from our day job to start to diversify. The new gen has to fight harder just to be able to live.
Many people fail to recognise that "being good at x" usually requires a bunch of different skills to begin with. Nobody is just "good at chess". They are good at abstract reasoning, pattern matching, memorization and time managent
If you want to be an entrepreneur or a leader you should be a generalist. You basically have to know a bit of everything in order to hire the good persons and be able to communicate well with them. If you are not a leader but more a follower or a self-employed, then you should specialize so you can beat the competition .
@@KS-wk6uk both are kind of the same and paradoxical depending on how you define leader and follower. You should focus on WHAT you do, not which position you are in. simple: 1. If you are leading, generalize 2. if you are following, specialize
Literally just what I need right now. I'm a 34 year old "jack of all trades...". My combined experience has served me well recently, but I'm starting to hit a crossroad and I need to acquire more skills to move forward. Do I generalise or do I specialise? Honestly, knowing myself, I know that I will lose focus after a couple of years of "pigeonholing" myself and it will kill my motivation and I'll stop delivering a desirable standard. Meanwhile, generalising keeps the fire burning but it brings a lack of security. Everyone's situation is unique, but nonetheless, some great points raised in this post. Cheers for the update.
I fee you so much! Literally been reading about this. I feel like if there was a degree I would have a masters in jack of all trades lol Let me know if you wanna network and chat more. Feel free to ping me on linked in : Vick Vahram Antonyan
Same here! 36 yo, with programming skills, have experience with online education, but now I’m into digital marketing. Somehow I feel like an impostor because I know so many people that are so good and creative, and sometimes I feel like giving up on marketing. I’m in the same crossroad. Go deep or take a detour... again. It’s hard.
I am with you guys, but like Tim said, you'll have that advantage overall, and who told you that you had to choose one thing? As the saying goes... "Jack of all trades, master of none...often times better, than master of ONE" CHEERS MY JACKS!
Same here guys! Im 25. Jst graduated as an engr. But currently my hobbies are sketching, music playing, cooking, writing, playing sports, books and many more. If you guys know any way I can organize my life id appreciate it. Thanks
This video should be required viewing for all incoming college freshman! I feel like this video succinctly addresses the indecision that so many young people feel when they're just starting to find their way in the world.
Yes! For example, if I simply achieve a 4.0 average in my double major of Quantitative Finance and Computer Science / Machine Learning, I will learn for a couple of years and then become a rich and famous hedge fund manager! Because everything is OBJECTIVE. And you succeed or fail based on one thing - THE NUMBERS - and your TRACK RECORD. Uh, OK but in a word: WRONG!!!!!!!!! Just so totally and embarrassingly wrong. Good video!
Although the advice is very good, i would also add an age as a variable. I would say generalize at early age, specialize later in life. You will know by then what you are good at.
I recently had mild heart attack and a stent placed in the main heart artery and then a pacemaker with two wires. I told the cardiologist that I am not a specialist, but that I was damn glad he is!
Well explained. Generalizing on many topics can distract you from specializing on much more important topics. Specializing in some point is needed in todays world for a good career.
I feel this so much. People think I'm crazy for combining Finance with Computer science and Music, but I want to start a record label and have control of most aspects. It seems like the best way for me and all 3 subjects complement each other well. I'm so glad I came across this video. People keep telling me to focus on one thing and specialize. "Jack of all trades, master of none" they say, but I get bored and tired out only focusing on 1 thing. Comp Sci teaches me file management for my music. Econ helps maintain and project a budget. When I get bored or stuck on one subject I move to the next which will often inspire a solution. Thanks for the video Tim!
Bang on. I struggled with this dilemma for a very long time. I was looking for a broader perspective on the topic of specialization. This explanation is so liberating. Thank you, Tim.
Tim Ferris, I’ve listened to about 20+ hours of your podcast this week. Guess what? I’m gonna listen to them all over again, and then do it again. I WILL internalize the wisdom. I’ve never agreed with so many different people, and had the thoughts verbalized in a way that I completely understand and jive with.
I've always found that the opportunities I've been able to capitalise on have been as a result of this practice; having several niche skill-sets that although I'm not the best at, are often quite uncommon in combination and as a result provide me with less competition. Insightful video Tim as always!
Tim has been driving this home for years. Be the best &/or the first to combine a few specializations. Makes sense. I also love the phrase, "Jack of all trades, Master of SOME".
Personally, I believe that being a generalist and learning multiple things can be very helpful for many reasons, but to mention 2 of them.. 1. When starting, you'll have to do many things yourself 2. Learning new things can be fun just for the sake of learning as well as you can consider it as meditation to take you away from your daily routine/job. So as he said, a specialised generalist 👌🏻 Have a great day everyone 🙏🏼
I like this video a lot. For 40 years I was learning a lot through my hobbies, interests and professions but was never really happy with the job I was doing. At age 40 I had the courage to become what I need to be and found a profession where I am good at and love doing. It doesn't make a lot of money but it gave my life meaning. I am a very happy person. And found out I have ambitions, staggering to me.
That is a so good advice man! Spot on! Nobody talks about this side of “generalization” and “specialization”! Learning tons of skills is essential for success, rarely a person can be succesful with just one skill.
Tim is like the greatest mentor you can have. Super clear, practical and with a great combination between logical and intuitive thinking. Thank you for adding so much value to our lives!
"JUST PICK ONE THING YOU'RE GOOD AT AND STICK TO IT! THAT'S HOW YOU BECOME THE BEST!" The amount of times in my life I heard this,.. I always thought that sounded like bullshirt.....now i know it is! THANKS YOU AGAIN Tim. the world needs you!
This was great to hear today. I have been wrestling with this for about a year. I was a cop by day and comedian by night for many years. I have been hooked on personal development/personal growth for over 25 years. I have written four books, and produced a comedy special and a tv series that are on Amazon. I have no limits with my mind as to what I can do. It's focusing on a couple core targets, to be more effective. I know I have fallen into the dabbling syndrome by spreading out my targets. Shoot at many targets, hit none. I have recently been hooked on tennis and competing. Im sure I can combine that with personal development/peak performance/coaching with writing/speaking. Thanks for all your amazing content!
Very interesting. I've never heard the full quote before, and the purpose of the saying changes completely once you tack on that last bit. When people say, "Jack of all trades, master of none," and stop there, they're usually implying that if you don't specialize, your knowledge is too broad to be useful. However, the full saying indicates that the Jack of all trades is actually MORE useful, because they're versatile and adaptable, rather than restricted to a single knowledge base. It makes me curious as to why people started changing the saying...
@@whatwilliwatch3405 actually it's the other way around. the original saying was just "jack of all trades" the "master of some" was added later, and then finally "often times better than a master of none" was added last, this is over the course of a some hundred years ofcourse
I've definitely done this more or less by accident over my career - I have an Arts degree with a good foundation in research but have ended up in a data analysis heavy job. Combined with my well honed speaking skills (through years of providing training) I have an ability to clarify and translate effectively between technical and non-technical people, in a way that very few of my colleagues can. I know this combination of skills, each of which I continue to build on year on year, give me a path to the to of my field which would be much tougher if I was, say, focused solely on the data side, or on the research skills. Specialised Generalist - definitely a good thing to be
Excellent advice, Tim. I've found your suggestion of public speaking + (insert another skill) to be the most powerful combination. Thanks for everything you do!
Great video! I think most people have one or two niches but it is always a good idea to keep them side projects going! I'm doing a music degree currently but love to keep occupied writing, public speaking, learning psychology and, on the more practical side, performing magic. Whatever your passions are, they may seem a bit unlinked (like mine!) but you'll be surprised how they can be interconnected. Psychology and public speaking in my case are needed for becoming a magician. The beauty of it is, if you commit yourself to the skills you're passionate about, you'll simultaneously improve in other areas without even realising it! An easy way to improve writing is daily journaling which I'm sure Tim's covered on this channel. Wishing everyone good luck in pursuing their passions!
To summarize and add, you should be a T shaped person. Where you know a bunch of stuff in horizontal but also are an expert in one of them - the vertical bar. Specialist Pros and Cons: 👍 The ability to earn more money - slow but straight career ladder The opportunity to become an expert or leader in your area of specialization 👎 Career inflexibility Risk of becoming obsolete Generalist Pros and Cons: 👍 Understanding and seeing the bigger picture Transferable skills Career flexibility 👎 Lack of job security Need to work harder to be approved WHAT TO DO? 😱 Generalising-Specialist - if you are a generalist, pick one thing and get deep, gain vertical knowledge vs Specialising-Generalist! - if you are a specialist - start exploring and learning new skills and wear more hats at work.
@@Oklon86 kinda...but if you're the only, then there is no one to even be the best over. I see what you mean though. Best vs. only just brings about a much different mindset, for me at least.
Wow. This is the most useful 5 minutes I've watched this year. I've been battling with this for a long time, and that just gave me a lot of clarity. Boom, I am a 'specialised generalist'. 😎
Damn this is GOOD advice!! The most powerful advice I've personally gained from listening to Tim and guests. Tim, as always, THANK YOU!! The goodness you bring to these times, to this world, is phenomenal. Stay well Tim!!
Fantastic video. Your insights and content continue to get better and better as you age, I'm impressed! The fact that you continue to strive to self improve, self analyze, and then formulate cohesive lessons that can be shared and offer value to others makes me excited to continue to follow your work.
This video popped up exactly when I need it. Thank you, great content as always! I've been pondering this for some time. Chris Do from The futur has another interesting approach on this subject to be a specialist externally and a generalist internally, but I think this makes more sense to me at the moment.
Thank you for this video. I definitely relate to this because as a mechanical engineer with a psychology passion, it makes a big difference in the way I interact with my coworkers, and handle difficult situations at and outside of work. 💯
It’s so true. If you can be a good public speaker and writer. You are 80% of the way there. You just need something interesting that people will pay to listen to you about. I wish I knew this when I was younger.
T-shaped skillset - a jack of all trades, a master of one. Great advice, Tim! Being a specialist can bring in more money and gives you a chance to work on more challenging problems, whereas a generalist can combine knowledge from various subjects. By targeting T-shaped skillset, you'll get the best from both.
100% agree. I became an architect 3 years ago and competition is fierce, it's really hard to get into a good studio unless you are really good, which I'm not; so since then I've been focused on learning programming and 3D to specialize on VR/AR/MR. I'm learning by myself and it's hard but I know it will be a wise choice soon enough.
Checking in 2 years later: How did it go for you in your learning journey? Did it work out to become a more specialized generalist and would you say you are better off than before?
@@bavorec Funny you ask. I'm still working at the same place, but made the decision to study a whole new college degree on Software Development. My skills on 3D and programming have also improved a lot, but still not enough to be confident about looking for a new job. Sadly, 2022 has been a horrible year for me, I broke my left arm really bad in February and I'm still doing physical rehabilitation; the whole situation was a big emotional hit for me and decided to chill a bit and focus on oil painting, which is my hobby.
@@Chronomatrix hope you get well soon. Wish you lots of success with your degree. You have moved forward and improved by learning new skills despite the same old job. This is already great!
Tim your advice makes me think of what Mandela said: I never lose I either win or learn. To be kept in mind when having trouble to start doing things. Thank you.
This was a great listen as someone trying to decide what to specialize in as a medical student. I'm still torn between being an internist/generalist and specializing
Um. That’s diff. As u need licenses for each. The comparison would be MD generalist and MBA, or generalist with flight (cert/training). Or Emergency Medicine with MBA or MS medical legal studies etc
@@RM-eu8gi I realize every specialty requires board certification. But specialists are called specialists for a reason - they usually focus on a single organ system or class of disease. Not sure what you're getting at?
specialist is good for someone love on one thing at a time. As times go forward, add on additional skill or competent , but only having a few 3-5 related skills. From my experience, i started out with specialised in ISO 9001 standard, thereafter I learnt more ISO standards, API, ISO/ IEC , etc. learn to be author , learn to be chef, etc.
Could not agree more! If you work in Tech, strongly recommend Scott Ambler's article Generalizing Specialist to combine with Tim's advices here. To summarize: Don't be a Jack of All Trades, Master of None. Be instead a Jack of Many Trades, Master of Some
He really hits the nail on the head. Public speaking, writing and negotiation. man, these skills are required across the spectrum of professions. I don't think of any decent profession that does not require such skills. At least, we all need to negotiate wages with our employers!
I have followed your methods since 2011....and in the 9 years since, I have started a successful business....left the 9-5 race....and this is the cornerstone of the methodology that did it for me......I remember in the 4 hours workweek..combination porn......and I have lived by that . So in short thank you for all you put out...I am a success story from your teaching.
This was very useful advice. I have always had this question. I am a "consummate dilettante "who knows management, coding, finance, geo politics and many more things however I feel quite impoverished with these skill 'cause I haven't been able to capitalist on any one of them.
TL;DW: 1. Be a specialized generalist. 2. Top 3 add one / multiplier core skills to have: Public Speaking, Writing and Negotiating 3. Choosing projects where you "win even when you fail", where you can learn things from those projects whose learning can be better used to further implement them later as a major project or better decision making.
One thing I learned the other day while studying company structures, which I learned started during the industrial revolution due to disorganization was about a visionary. A company can't grow without one but they can't necessarily prosper without a company head either. So now my job title is visionary.
Basically, be a specialized generalist and combine all your top hard unique skills with soft skills that differentiate yourself unless you're on the top 5%. Think of the long run and seek a higher ROI even if you fail that project because you will learn valuable soft and hard skills that you can apply in future ones. Hard skills are measurable but soft skills are what you learn while you are growing and building relationships, i.e., negotiation is a soft skill but writing is a hard skill. Thank you for articulating your message succinctly and insightfully.
Generalist with a few specialist "spikes" is the sweet spot - everything else fades away too quickly if you consider the intersection of "what you are really good at", "what the world really needs" and "what you really like"
Interesting idea, the specialized generalist. I was actually just on a podcast where I shared my expertise as a mindfulness teacher/counsellor AND productivity coach... it's fun (and been much more successful than I'd initially anticipated) to marry the two worlds through my work in energy management and work-life wellness and to offer a unique vantage point. One thing I'd add is to focus on one thing fully at a time so as to avoid trying to do/be everything at once. If each avenue or interest is separate from one another, I've found it most effective to pursue one at a time with full attention before diving into the next.
Very useful video. It is strange to hear you talk about the combination of computer science and law. I have been thinking about going for this same combination.
The thing I love most about Tim? He cuts all the crap. This is a 6 minutes video with a lot of ideas and suggestion, while nowadays people usually do a 10 minute video to just say 1/6 of the stuff.
When Tim published this video, a couple of months ago, with somewhat spooky timing I had just self-published my first book on Amazon called You Don't Know Jack! How the Jack of All Trades Triumphs in the Modern World. A Jack of All Trades is, of course, your classic generalist. Luckily for me, Tim and I agree that the best approach is to become a generalist who cultivates their own unique combination of skills, or trades. This is what Tim refers to as a specialised generalist.
I was naturally good at visual art growing up. I ended up getting a degree in computer engineering. So I know how to code apps as well as hardware. Now I'm trying to make art combined with technology. I am also personable, gained that from retail work. I hope to one day be an artist 50% of the time and an entrepreneur 50% of the time, in order to make a living
I'm a designer by day, but have been trying to diversify my other skillsets (ex. my TH-cam channel, storytelling, speaking) -- so this is really reassuring to hear. thanks for always giving great practical advice, and shoutout to all my fellow aspiring specialized generalists (:
1. Combine Handful of rare & Valuable Skills Ex : Great Knowledge of Finance & Public Speaking + Writing+ Negotiating It will always keep you Ahead of your Competition who may have better knowledge than you in Finance 2. Winning Even if i fail Ex : Choosing Project where you spend your time and money even if you fail at the project you Acquire skill That is valuable and stays with you for long and can be used in future. 3.Specialised Generalist Choosing Handful of skills that can be combined together instead of doing & learning 100 things and being not good at anything or Just specialising in only one thing it only works if you are the warren buffet of investing
This is brilliant! Thank you! I’m literally in the process of developing my 12 step personal brand roadmap for my academy members and just this week on a live call I was asked about niching. I’ll be referencing this video and sharing it as part of my plan! Love this approach! It also affirms that I’m using my skills as a personal brand photographer along with my online tech abilities to establish a good specialized generalist in the field of personal branding! Awesome, awesome!
Very true! As a software engineer with a great interest in graphic arts I’ve lost valuable time trying to decide between the two. And yet... put them together on a decent level and... :-)
Thanks Tim, this is well explained. Basically, no matter which project you are working on right now, break down the skills and values in it and see how they could apply for whatever project you are working on in the future, such that your future projects would have higher success rate. Not sure if I am correct, it seems that 1 technical skill + 1 communication skill works best together? Thanks for all these videos you were making recently!
Thank you, Tim. It’s hard to be a speciality actuary! Too many years of study, and continuous study. By the end of it, I feel so exhausted. And that, so many solo isolated study days, which makes me feel It changed my personality - became scared of social interactions/and talking publicly, which was something I was very keen on😋 before the work and study life started
Tim is one of the very few who exhibits mastery over concepts AND language like few teachers I’ve come across. Other masters who come to mind: James Clear. Possibly Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Robbins. Any others??
A great way to frame a specialized generalist is a "hybrid professional"- when people combine their multiple talents and work at the intersections of those abilities, that's their hybridity. AND they become an expert of that unique combination- their hybridity is their expertise! My book More Than My Title talks all about this segment of workers who are hidden in the workforce.
I've been asking this question for a long time but haven't found an answer until now. It makes a lot of sense to combine skills and increase your competitive advantage in the market pool of professionals. Scott did this with Dilbert by combining his drawing skills with his ability to make people laugh, very clever.
Another way to put it; Life IS Sales. You need to communicate to get anywhere and you need to sell, which includes yourself as well as ideas. If you don't, your career will grow stagnant.
Im an electrical engineer working as project manager and now started studying psychology. Everybody thinks I’m simply stopping engineering and wanna do a 180 turn. But I’ve known for years before that I’d love to study a lot of things, basically to become uniquely powerful. we’ll see how this works out but I absolutely love the challenge.
Many of the problems i face today are multidimensional and multidisciplinary. This can often fall between the gaps in a company so it's a real opportunity to take accountability. In my experience generalists have a more trustworthy System 1 and can more easily compute second order impacts. While i think generalists will be more in demand for the next 5 years i think it will suit some people much more than others. I think your decision needs to be a combination of where do you want to be (Expert/ C-suite), problem solving bias (strategy or tactics vs. stratical) and your adaptability (learning / experimenting/ risk).
Thank you very much 4 talking in this subject 👌👌👌 I was struggling with this, I knew mastering one thing is not enough and at the same time overskilling will end up with mastering any.
I had so many interests growing up and I couldn't decide which one to pursue: psychology, electronic music, photography, computer science... so, I decided to pursue all of them. I did my degree in psychology and my masters in research methods, worked as a photographer on the side and made music and websites for fun. I ended up working as a Data Engineer for an audio focused machine learning company, capitalising on 3/4 of my interests. It doesn't even feel like a job.
Dou you work remotely?
@@chris_k8e I work from home now, but before the lockdown I was working in the office.
#lifegoals :) Thanks for sharing Marcell!
You have an inspiring story. I’m a guitarist with a kinesiology degree who taught him self app development while substitute teaching after I injured myself working as a personal trainer. Growth seems real slow, but I know a wide basket to draw from will help me as I learn how to focus
Lucky!
1. Specialized Generalist = combined two or valuable skills (the rarer, the better)
2. General meta skills that have high multipliers: public speaking, writing, negotiating.
3. Winning even if you fail = approach projects as opportunity to develop skills and relationships, this creates positive returns via success on projects, even if you "fail" in the short term
Skill sex, basically
Thank you
Nice! :)
4. Choose skills that have a synergistic effect when put in a system
What are examples of valuable skills? Rare ones? Besides the meta skills
Long story short: being a specialist makes sense only if you're extremely good at what you do. If you're not, it's better to be a "specialized generalist", which means that you should combine several valuable skills, but not too many. The more rare the combination, the more successful you can be. Tim suggests three easy add-ons to whatever you do: public speaking, writing, and negotiating.
Another tip from Tim: win, even if you lose. Use the skills you learned and the relationships you built during the launch of a relatively "failed" product to be more productive in the future. Projects come and go, but skills and relationships with good people stay with you.
one point regarding the rare combination - it should be useful; the skills combined should work well together
@@Th3L0st0ne good point 👍
your username is spot on, man i wish i read it before watching the video!
@@anxboxharddrive9348 Haha, thanks, man :)
Nice summary. Wish subscribing to your channel gave access to the videos you’ve done this to
I remember our microbiology lecturer told us that he had a medical degree, pilot license, was a firefighter once, and currently now a lecturer by day, DJ by night and he is also a tea entrepreneur.
my module chair who was another one of our Lecturers, was a PHD scientist, but after he left the research industry after a while and joined a national team to be a professional cyclist for a year or so, then he started his fish farm business (and he was earning big bucks from it) but left because of partners dispute. On the side of everything, he plays violin, guitar, cello, and piano and he used to develop photos as a hobby when he was younger. So anyways, he got bored and decided to become a lecturer because apparently teaching teenagers is entertainment to him 😂 but it was v insightful every time he tells us his stories becos he came from a v poor background w a messy childhood but he took in every opportunity to better himself. Now, he’s pretty rich and could easily retire years ago
And meanwhile here you are bullshitting.
ThunderAppeal haha okay
Wow!
Many of these examples don’t reflect the current competition in the market. A master/PhD graduate nowadays has to accept an undergraduate salary just to be employed. Running businesses are good but usually we need the initial boost/network from our day job to start to diversify. The new gen has to fight harder just to be able to live.
Many people fail to recognise that "being good at x" usually requires a bunch of different skills to begin with.
Nobody is just "good at chess". They are good at abstract reasoning, pattern matching, memorization and time managent
Exactly
If you want to be an entrepreneur or a leader you should be a generalist. You basically have to know a bit of everything in order to hire the good persons and be able to communicate well with them.
If you are not a leader but more a follower or a self-employed, then you should specialize so you can beat the competition .
What if someone is a follower but in a leadership position? What if someone is a leader and a follower position?
Wonder what Tim’s comment might be on this.
@@KS-wk6uk both are kind of the same and paradoxical depending on how you define leader and follower. You should focus on WHAT you do, not which position you are in.
simple:
1. If you are leading, generalize
2. if you are following, specialize
“Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual.”
Tim Ferris: “Hold my kettlebel.”
🤣🤣
10/10
Lol! For sure!
This is not a "stick it to the man"... It's a "stick it my man" !!!
You've clearly never read the Bible or heard of Jesus ;P
Ah, what a relief this video is. I have so many interests and skills I want to learn. You've reminded me to prioritize them!
Great to hear, excel
Same I am working on a few technical certifications.
What a relief indeed! It's not so easy to prioritize when we have all the informations on our fingerprints but it's manageable.
Never understood why people need other people to tell them what to do in life...
@@orion9k ?????
Literally just what I need right now.
I'm a 34 year old "jack of all trades...". My combined experience has served me well recently, but I'm starting to hit a crossroad and I need to acquire more skills to move forward. Do I generalise or do I specialise?
Honestly, knowing myself, I know that I will lose focus after a couple of years of "pigeonholing" myself and it will kill my motivation and I'll stop delivering a desirable standard. Meanwhile, generalising keeps the fire burning but it brings a lack of security.
Everyone's situation is unique, but nonetheless, some great points raised in this post.
Cheers for the update.
I fee you so much! Literally been reading about this. I feel like if there was a degree I would have a masters in jack of all trades lol
Let me know if you wanna network and chat more. Feel free to ping me on linked in : Vick Vahram Antonyan
I’m with you! 💯 I totally feel you.
Same here! 36 yo, with programming skills, have experience with online education, but now I’m into digital marketing. Somehow I feel like an impostor because I know so many people that are so good and creative, and sometimes I feel like giving up on marketing. I’m in the same crossroad. Go deep or take a detour... again. It’s hard.
I am with you guys, but like Tim said, you'll have that advantage overall, and who told you that you had to choose one thing? As the saying goes...
"Jack of all trades, master of none...often times better, than master of ONE"
CHEERS MY JACKS!
Same here guys! Im 25. Jst graduated as an engr. But currently my hobbies are sketching, music playing, cooking, writing, playing sports, books and many more. If you guys know any way I can organize my life id appreciate it. Thanks
This video should be required viewing for all incoming college freshman! I feel like this video succinctly addresses the indecision that so many young people feel when they're just starting to find their way in the world.
Yes! For example, if I simply achieve a 4.0 average in my double major of Quantitative Finance and Computer Science / Machine Learning, I will learn for a couple of years and then become a rich and famous hedge fund manager! Because everything is OBJECTIVE. And you succeed or fail based on one thing - THE NUMBERS - and your TRACK RECORD. Uh, OK but in a word: WRONG!!!!!!!!! Just so totally and embarrassingly wrong. Good video!
Although the advice is very good, i would also add an age as a variable. I would say generalize at early age, specialize later in life. You will know by then what you are good at.
This video came just in time as I was thinking about this topic
TH-cam algorithms :
Your welcome
Agreed, I’ve thought a lot about what I need to do for my future career
Same I think the neura link is in
Universe always sends us the right thing🔥
Absolutely!! 😌
I recently had mild heart attack and a stent placed in the main heart artery and then a pacemaker with two wires. I told the cardiologist that I am not a specialist, but that I was damn glad he is!
Well explained. Generalizing on many topics can distract you from specializing on much more important topics. Specializing in some point is needed in todays world for a good career.
I feel this so much. People think I'm crazy for combining Finance with Computer science and Music, but I want to start a record label and have control of most aspects. It seems like the best way for me and all 3 subjects complement each other well. I'm so glad I came across this video. People keep telling me to focus on one thing and specialize. "Jack of all trades, master of none" they say, but I get bored and tired out only focusing on 1 thing. Comp Sci teaches me file management for my music. Econ helps maintain and project a budget. When I get bored or stuck on one subject I move to the next which will often inspire a solution. Thanks for the video Tim!
Bang on. I struggled with this dilemma for a very long time. I was looking for a broader perspective on the topic of specialization. This explanation is so liberating. Thank you, Tim.
I agree - I definitely feel less pressure and more liberated about what skills I want to learn having watched this video!
@@DavyYap Totally!
Tim Ferris, I’ve listened to about 20+ hours of your podcast this week. Guess what? I’m gonna listen to them all over again, and then do it again. I WILL internalize the wisdom. I’ve never agreed with so many different people, and had the thoughts verbalized in a way that I completely understand and jive with.
I've always found that the opportunities I've been able to capitalise on have been as a result of this practice; having several niche skill-sets that although I'm not the best at, are often quite uncommon in combination and as a result provide me with less competition. Insightful video Tim as always!
Totally agree - it's a combination of skills that make you valuable.
Tim has been driving this home for years. Be the best &/or the first to combine a few specializations. Makes sense. I also love the phrase, "Jack of all trades, Master of SOME".
I’ve been thinking about this question so much. My answer now: I should do what I like best.
Check out some Jocko Podcast clips. I've found them useful.
Personally, I believe that being a generalist and learning multiple things can be very helpful for many reasons, but to mention 2 of them.. 1. When starting, you'll have to do many things yourself
2. Learning new things can be fun just for the sake of learning as well as you can consider it as meditation to take you away from your daily routine/job.
So as he said, a specialised generalist 👌🏻
Have a great day everyone 🙏🏼
Interesting perspective with pertinent examples. As Nelson Mandela said: “I never lose. I either win, or I learn.”
Weird flex by Mandela. But ok.
I'm trying to improve my speaking skills through live streaming here on TH-cam, gaming has always been a helping hand for me and now I'm doing both.
I like this video a lot. For 40 years I was learning a lot through my hobbies, interests and professions but was never really happy with the job I was doing. At age 40 I had the courage to become what I need to be and found a profession where I am good at and love doing. It doesn't make a lot of money but it gave my life meaning. I am a very happy person. And found out I have ambitions, staggering to me.
That is a so good advice man! Spot on! Nobody talks about this side of “generalization” and “specialization”!
Learning tons of skills is essential for success, rarely a person can be succesful with just one skill.
I love it. Currently try to combine my knowledge in software development and computer science with public speaking and writing in a youtube project.
Very valid thank you!
Tim is like the greatest mentor you can have. Super clear, practical and with a great combination between logical and intuitive thinking. Thank you for adding so much value to our lives!
"JUST PICK ONE THING YOU'RE GOOD AT AND STICK TO IT! THAT'S HOW YOU BECOME THE BEST!" The amount of times in my life I heard this,.. I always thought that sounded like bullshirt.....now i know it is! THANKS YOU AGAIN Tim. the world needs you!
This was great to hear today. I have been wrestling with this for about a year. I was a cop by day and comedian by night for many years. I have been hooked on personal development/personal growth for over 25 years. I have written four books, and produced a comedy special and a tv series that are on Amazon. I have no limits with my mind as to what I can do. It's focusing on a couple core targets, to be more effective. I know I have fallen into the dabbling syndrome by spreading out my targets. Shoot at many targets, hit none. I have recently been hooked on tennis and competing. Im sure I can combine that with personal development/peak performance/coaching with writing/speaking. Thanks for all your amazing content!
Thanks Tim - I'll aim to add public speaking, writing and negotiating to my tool kit!
This is one of the best advice ever. This is exactly how Steve Jobs had so much success with Apple: he combined design (art) with computers (science).
🤔😲 Good point!
Jobs had art and marketing... and Wozniak.
Me: Should You Specialize or Be a Generalist?
Tim: Yes.
We should be a generalist in our specialty.
Bahaha, I had a boss like that, became a meme at the office 😄
you can be both ...depend on the situation and problems you encountered.
@PussyIsHere Your mom borrows his hair and never gives it back.
I'm not a specialized generalist, but I think I can specially generalize how beautiful you are. And you are beautiful.
You are a living goldmine for us. Making videos on topics, which affect us in reality. Keep up the good work (- a virtual mentee from India)
Be good in beeing yourself. Be good in the thecnical area that matters to you. Be good to people. Nothing else will be necessary.
"Jack of all trades, master of none, oftentimes better than master of one"
I adjusted mine to be “jack of all trades, master of some”
Not only Jack, it also involved names like Tom, Dick and Harry too. Jack of Tom, Dick and Harry or Cartoon "Tom and Jerry Show" too.
Very interesting. I've never heard the full quote before, and the purpose of the saying changes completely once you tack on that last bit. When people say, "Jack of all trades, master of none," and stop there, they're usually implying that if you don't specialize, your knowledge is too broad to be useful. However, the full saying indicates that the Jack of all trades is actually MORE useful, because they're versatile and adaptable, rather than restricted to a single knowledge base. It makes me curious as to why people started changing the saying...
I live by it. Had more jobs than many but have grown wiser the more I do.
@@whatwilliwatch3405 actually it's the other way around.
the original saying was just "jack of all trades" the "master of some" was added later, and then finally "often times better than a master of none" was added last, this is over the course of a some hundred years ofcourse
Always saving my anxiety and stress Tim. God bless you man, one jack of all trades to another!
I've definitely done this more or less by accident over my career - I have an Arts degree with a good foundation in research but have ended up in a data analysis heavy job. Combined with my well honed speaking skills (through years of providing training) I have an ability to clarify and translate effectively between technical and non-technical people, in a way that very few of my colleagues can.
I know this combination of skills, each of which I continue to build on year on year, give me a path to the to of my field which would be much tougher if I was, say, focused solely on the data side, or on the research skills.
Specialised Generalist - definitely a good thing to be
Excellent advice, Tim. I've found your suggestion of public speaking + (insert another skill) to be the most powerful combination. Thanks for everything you do!
In the world that we live in today, and the one we will live tomorrow I'd put coding + public speaking + (insert something here)
@@upvotecomment2110 Would you say that learing ALL of those through my teens'd be a good goal?
Great video! I think most people have one or two niches but it is always a good idea to keep them side projects going! I'm doing a music degree currently but love to keep occupied writing, public speaking, learning psychology and, on the more practical side, performing magic. Whatever your passions are, they may seem a bit unlinked (like mine!) but you'll be surprised how they can be interconnected. Psychology and public speaking in my case are needed for becoming a magician. The beauty of it is, if you commit yourself to the skills you're passionate about, you'll simultaneously improve in other areas without even realising it! An easy way to improve writing is daily journaling which I'm sure Tim's covered on this channel.
Wishing everyone good luck in pursuing their passions!
Speaking of "sage advice," you're giving a ton of it in this concise video, Tim!
To summarize and add, you should be a T shaped person. Where you know a bunch of stuff in horizontal but also are an expert in one of them - the vertical bar.
Specialist Pros and Cons:
👍
The ability to earn more money - slow but straight career ladder
The opportunity to become an expert or leader in your area of specialization
👎
Career inflexibility
Risk of becoming obsolete
Generalist Pros and Cons:
👍
Understanding and seeing the bigger picture
Transferable skills
Career flexibility
👎
Lack of job security
Need to work harder to be approved
WHAT TO DO? 😱
Generalising-Specialist - if you are a generalist, pick one thing and get deep, gain vertical knowledge
vs
Specialising-Generalist! - if you are a specialist - start exploring and learning new skills and wear more hats at work.
"The Master shall appear when the student is ready".
Great advice at the right time. Thanks, Tim.
TL,DR:
Don't be the best. Be the only.
I love this.
Be the only = be the best at something
@@Oklon86 kinda...but if you're the only, then there is no one to even be the best over. I see what you mean though. Best vs. only just brings about a much different mindset, for me at least.
That’s building a monopoly.
Dude (dude?),
I’m getting this framed and placed on my wall.
This is awesome.
Wow. This is the most useful 5 minutes I've watched this year. I've been battling with this for a long time, and that just gave me a lot of clarity. Boom, I am a 'specialised generalist'. 😎
Damn this is GOOD advice!!
The most powerful advice I've personally gained from listening to Tim and guests. Tim, as always, THANK YOU!! The goodness you bring to these times, to this world, is phenomenal. Stay well Tim!!
Fantastic video. Your insights and content continue to get better and better as you age, I'm impressed! The fact that you continue to strive to self improve, self analyze, and then formulate cohesive lessons that can be shared and offer value to others makes me excited to continue to follow your work.
Absolutely agree. My special uncommon combination is corporate finance and sales skills.
This video popped up exactly when I need it. Thank you, great content as always! I've been pondering this for some time. Chris Do from The futur has another interesting approach on this subject to be a specialist externally and a generalist internally, but I think this makes more sense to me at the moment.
Pooped
Absolutely
Thank you for this video. I definitely relate to this because as a mechanical engineer with a psychology passion, it makes a big difference in the way I interact with my coworkers, and handle difficult situations at and outside of work. 💯
It’s so true. If you can be a good public speaker and writer. You are 80% of the way there. You just need something interesting that people will pay to listen to you about.
I wish I knew this when I was younger.
T-shaped skillset - a jack of all trades, a master of one. Great advice, Tim!
Being a specialist can bring in more money and gives you a chance to work on more challenging problems, whereas a generalist can combine knowledge from various subjects. By targeting T-shaped skillset, you'll get the best from both.
It has also been said as:
"Know a everything about something, and something about everything"
Pi-shaped. Two Skills very deep
100% agree. I became an architect 3 years ago and competition is fierce, it's really hard to get into a good studio unless you are really good, which I'm not; so since then I've been focused on learning programming and 3D to specialize on VR/AR/MR. I'm learning by myself and it's hard but I know it will be a wise choice soon enough.
Checking in 2 years later: How did it go for you in your learning journey? Did it work out to become a more specialized generalist and would you say you are better off than before?
@@bavorec Funny you ask. I'm still working at the same place, but made the decision to study a whole new college degree on Software Development. My skills on 3D and programming have also improved a lot, but still not enough to be confident about looking for a new job. Sadly, 2022 has been a horrible year for me, I broke my left arm really bad in February and I'm still doing physical rehabilitation; the whole situation was a big emotional hit for me and decided to chill a bit and focus on oil painting, which is my hobby.
@@Chronomatrix hope you get well soon. Wish you lots of success with your degree. You have moved forward and improved by learning new skills despite the same old job. This is already great!
Tim your advice makes me think of what Mandela said: I never lose I either win or learn. To be kept in mind when having trouble to start doing things. Thank you.
Sometimes you lose, sometimes you learn
This was a great listen as someone trying to decide what to specialize in as a medical student. I'm still torn between being an internist/generalist and specializing
Um. That’s diff. As u need licenses for each. The comparison would be MD generalist and MBA, or generalist with flight (cert/training). Or Emergency Medicine with MBA or MS medical legal studies etc
@@RM-eu8gi I realize every specialty requires board certification. But specialists are called specialists for a reason - they usually focus on a single organ system or class of disease. Not sure what you're getting at?
specialist is good for someone love on one thing at a time. As times go forward, add on additional skill or competent , but only having a few 3-5 related skills. From my experience, i started out with specialised in ISO 9001 standard, thereafter I learnt more ISO standards, API, ISO/ IEC , etc. learn to be author , learn to be chef, etc.
Could not agree more!
If you work in Tech, strongly recommend Scott Ambler's article Generalizing Specialist to combine with Tim's advices here.
To summarize: Don't be a Jack of All Trades, Master of None. Be instead a Jack of Many Trades, Master of Some
He really hits the nail on the head. Public speaking, writing and negotiation. man, these skills are required across the spectrum of professions. I don't think of any decent profession that does not require such skills. At least, we all need to negotiate wages with our employers!
I have followed your methods since 2011....and in the 9 years since, I have started a successful business....left the 9-5 race....and this is the cornerstone of the methodology that did it for me......I remember in the 4 hours workweek..combination porn......and I have lived by that . So in short thank you for all you put out...I am a success story from your teaching.
Thanks Tim...greetings from Colombia...here l developed survival skills!!
This was very useful advice. I have always had this question. I am a "consummate dilettante "who knows management, coding, finance, geo politics and many more things however I feel quite impoverished with these skill 'cause I haven't been able to capitalist on any one of them.
Tim Ferris, you are a treasure to humanity.
wow. dental student here. you just answered a question I've been asking myself and the people around me for the past three years. thank you!
TL;DW:
1. Be a specialized generalist.
2. Top 3 add one / multiplier core skills to have: Public Speaking, Writing and Negotiating
3. Choosing projects where you "win even when you fail", where you can learn things from those projects whose learning can be better used to further implement them later as a major project or better decision making.
Tim, the way you borrow lenses from others to create your own is amazing. Congrats on the amazing work!
Even almost 20 years later I still love you!
One thing I learned the other day while studying company structures, which I learned started during the industrial revolution due to disorganization was about a visionary. A company can't grow without one but they can't necessarily prosper without a company head either. So now my job title is visionary.
Basically, be a specialized generalist and combine all your top hard unique skills with soft skills that differentiate yourself unless you're on the top 5%. Think of the long run and seek a higher ROI even if you fail that project because you will learn valuable soft and hard skills that you can apply in future ones. Hard skills are measurable but soft skills are what you learn while you are growing and building relationships, i.e., negotiation is a soft skill but writing is a hard skill. Thank you for articulating your message succinctly and insightfully.
Generalist with a few specialist "spikes" is the sweet spot - everything else fades away too quickly if you consider the intersection of "what you are really good at", "what the world really needs" and "what you really like"
Interesting idea, the specialized generalist. I was actually just on a podcast where I shared my expertise as a mindfulness teacher/counsellor AND productivity coach... it's fun (and been much more successful than I'd initially anticipated) to marry the two worlds through my work in energy management and work-life wellness and to offer a unique vantage point.
One thing I'd add is to focus on one thing fully at a time so as to avoid trying to do/be everything at once. If each avenue or interest is separate from one another, I've found it most effective to pursue one at a time with full attention before diving into the next.
One of the most meaningful videos that can be watched only in 6 minutes. Thank you for this great advice.
Very useful video. It is strange to hear you talk about the combination of computer science and law. I have been thinking about going for this same combination.
Tip for myself: add public speaking, writing and negotiation and the win even if you lose.
Find three courses on these three different add-ons.
Thank you, Timbo! You're a legend!
The thing I love most about Tim? He cuts all the crap. This is a 6 minutes video with a lot of ideas and suggestion, while nowadays people usually do a 10 minute video to just say 1/6 of the stuff.
When Tim published this video, a couple of months ago, with somewhat spooky timing I had just self-published my first book on Amazon called You Don't Know Jack! How the Jack of All Trades Triumphs in the Modern World. A Jack of All Trades is, of course, your classic generalist. Luckily for me, Tim and I agree that the best approach is to become a generalist who cultivates their own unique combination of skills, or trades. This is what Tim refers to as a specialised generalist.
This video inspired me to give up trying to succeed altogether. At last (some kind of) closure.
I was naturally good at visual art growing up. I ended up getting a degree in computer engineering. So I know how to code apps as well as hardware. Now I'm trying to make art combined with technology. I am also personable, gained that from retail work. I hope to one day be an artist 50% of the time and an entrepreneur 50% of the time, in order to make a living
I'm a designer by day, but have been trying to diversify my other skillsets (ex. my TH-cam channel, storytelling, speaking) -- so this is really reassuring to hear. thanks for always giving great practical advice, and shoutout to all my fellow aspiring specialized generalists (:
Thanks Tim! I'm a generalist who loves to touch at everything but I know where I'm better at so I'll prioritized that instead.
1. Combine Handful of rare & Valuable Skills Ex : Great Knowledge of Finance & Public Speaking + Writing+ Negotiating It will always keep you Ahead of your Competition who may have better knowledge than you in Finance
2. Winning Even if i fail Ex : Choosing Project where you spend your time and money even if you fail at the project you Acquire skill That is valuable and stays with you for long and can be used in future.
3.Specialised Generalist Choosing Handful of skills that can be combined together instead of doing & learning 100 things and being not good at anything or Just specialising in only one thing it only works if you are the warren buffet of investing
Thanks Tim, this came at a right time for me in trying to decide what do I do for the rest of my life. You're phenomenal!
This is brilliant! Thank you! I’m literally in the process of developing my 12 step personal brand roadmap for my academy members and just this week on a live call I was asked about niching. I’ll be referencing this video and sharing it as part of my plan! Love this approach! It also affirms that I’m using my skills as a personal brand photographer along with my online tech abilities to establish a good specialized generalist in the field of personal branding! Awesome, awesome!
Thsts awesome good luck
Michael Davis well aren’t you a ray of sunshine?
Very true! As a software engineer with a great interest in graphic arts I’ve lost valuable time trying to decide between the two. And yet... put them together on a decent level and... :-)
Do you know WLOP? He is a software engineer by profession and is famous on instagram as a master digital artist.
Thanks Tim, this is well explained. Basically, no matter which project you are working on right now, break down the skills and values in it and see how they could apply for whatever project you are working on in the future, such that your future projects would have higher success rate. Not sure if I am correct, it seems that 1 technical skill + 1 communication skill works best together? Thanks for all these videos you were making recently!
Thank you, Tim. It’s hard to be a speciality actuary! Too many years of study, and continuous study. By the end of it, I feel so exhausted. And that, so many solo isolated study days, which makes me feel It changed my personality - became scared of social interactions/and talking publicly, which was something I was very keen on😋 before the work and study life started
Be a specialized generalist and combine rare talents into one package. Thank you for saying this 👏
Spot on Tim... Exactly what I've been applying for the past few years and I'm getting south out specifically for that.
Tim is one of the very few who exhibits mastery over concepts AND language like few teachers I’ve come across. Other masters who come to mind: James Clear. Possibly Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Robbins. Any others??
A great way to frame a specialized generalist is a "hybrid professional"- when people combine their multiple talents and work at the intersections of those abilities, that's their hybridity. AND they become an expert of that unique combination- their hybridity is their expertise! My book More Than My Title talks all about this segment of workers who are hidden in the workforce.
I've been asking this question for a long time but haven't found an answer until now. It makes a lot of sense to combine skills and increase your competitive advantage in the market pool of professionals. Scott did this with Dilbert by combining his drawing skills with his ability to make people laugh, very clever.
Tim I am so happy that you are doing video now. Thank you for this!
I needed to hear this. Thank you for making this video.
Another way to put it; Life IS Sales. You need to communicate to get anywhere and you need to sell, which includes yourself as well as ideas. If you don't, your career will grow stagnant.
Im an electrical engineer working as project manager and now started studying psychology. Everybody thinks I’m simply stopping engineering and wanna do a 180 turn. But I’ve known for years before that I’d love to study a lot of things, basically to become uniquely powerful. we’ll see how this works out but I absolutely love the challenge.
Dou you study on your own/ online / at the university?
En la universidad?
This channel has all the contents that I'd like to watch
Many of the problems i face today are multidimensional and multidisciplinary. This can often fall between the gaps in a company so it's a real opportunity to take accountability. In my experience generalists have a more trustworthy System 1 and can more easily compute second order impacts. While i think generalists will be more in demand for the next 5 years i think it will suit some people much more than others. I think your decision needs to be a combination of where do you want to be (Expert/ C-suite), problem solving bias (strategy or tactics vs. stratical) and your adaptability (learning / experimenting/ risk).
Thanks Tim. Heard one of my favorite quotes from Scott Adams. “You double your chances of success with each new skill you acquire.”
Thank you very much 4 talking in this subject 👌👌👌 I was struggling with this, I knew mastering one thing is not enough and at the same time overskilling will end up with mastering any.
Really well said Tim! Concentrate of information. It helped me to clarify my points I'll give to my students next week. Spot on!