"A jack of all trades, master of none" - I beg to differ

Reading time: 3 minutes

In the business world, there are two types of people:

Specialists and Generalists

Mozart was a specialist. He started performing music in public at the age of 6 and dedicated the rest of his life to composing and playing music.

When it comes to generalists, Leonardo Da Vinci was the GOAT - a painter, scientist, engineer, inventor, architect, sculptor and anatomy student.

But I’ve always struggled with the idea of being a specialist. I’m too curious. The world is like the Netflix catalogue—with comedy, drama, stand-up, documentaries, sci-fi, thrillers, etc. to choose from; how can you spend your entire life watching only Westerns?

Of course, the world needs its specialists - the neurosurgeons, quantum physicists, and Olympic champions. Their depth of expertise is invaluable. But, although not true for all fields (e.g. science, medicine), I think there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to skill acquisition.

For example, if you are already a “super good accountant”, is it worth your while to spend many more hours to become a “super duper good accountant”? I think not; spending that time working on a skill that complements your accounting prowess will probably give you more of an edge. This is where the concept of "talent stacking" becomes relevant.

Talent stacking

Popularized by author Scott Adams, the idea of talent stacking is this: combining a variety of moderate skills can create something extraordinary. Adams himself is the perfect example:

• He was a businessman of moderate success, but no Jeff Bezos.

• He was amusing, but not Jerry Seinfeld.

• He could sketch, but was no Van Gogh.

• He could write, but was no Hemingway.

Individually, these talents meant little, but COMBINED, they resulted in Dilbert, the world-famous comic strip about a corporate office.

Here are some other famous talent stackers (slightly simplified for illustrative purposes):

• Steve Jobs = Computers + Design + Marketing + Business

• Duwayne “the Rock” Johnson = Athleticism + Acting + Work ethic + Charisma + Business savvy

• Phil Knight (founder of Nike) = Athletics + Shoe design + Entrepreneurship + Business (MBA graduate)

• Donald Trump = Business skills + Negotiating + Risk-taking + Branding + Public speaking + Extreme confidence

So, what skills are useful (in business)?

While strategic competence is crucial, you don't need to be the best. The true power lies in the synergy of your abilities. As you can see from the above, the possible combinations are endless. However, I think three skills, in particular, are "multipliers" for any talent stack:

1. Communication (writing, public speaking) creates a bridge between you and the world. It’s no coincidence that most of the most memorable people in history were great communicators.

2. Technology is the cornerstone of human progress, so staying ahead of the curve is invaluable.

3. Psychology—sales, negotiation, and leadership—all boil down to understanding how people think and make decisions.

The moral of the story

There is an old adage: “a jack of all trades, master of none".

I call BS.

Generalists, take heart. In a world that celebrates specialists, there’s room for capable renaissance men and women. Ironically, acquiring a unique set of generalist skills can, combined, make you a one-of-a-kind specialist.

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Rob’s recommendations of the week:

I’m experimenting with a new and short section at the end of each week’s article where I will share stuff that I’ve been enjoying:

• 📚 Book: Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, Steven Pressfield - One of the best books about writing I’ve uncovered. An easy read.

• 🎧 Podcast: What it’s like to fight for your (captive) family - A harrowing account of what the October 7 attacks in Israel were like for those on the ground.

• 📧 Newsletter: The Window of Opportunity is Here - Speaking of talent stacks, here’s

  Nat Eliason
  from
  Nat Eliason's Essays
  on the power of AI tools. I didn’t even know about Claude 3 Opus. I tried the free version, and it’s awesome.

• 📺 TV: Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces - An intriguing story about life and the career of one of history’s most revered and original comedians.