This is what Warren Buffett, would answer:
“You will be successful UNTIL you stop trying to be good at everything.”
Being a generalist is a TRAP!
Warren Buffett calls this the Circle of Competence.
- Imagine a small circle WITHIN a big circle.
- The bigger circle is what you THINK you know.
- The smaller circle (inside the bigger one) is what you REALLY know.
- This SMALL circle represents your area of expertise. This small circle represents whatever you’re an expert, where you easily stand out. Where nobody can beat you.
STOP being a generalist!
Why?
Every time you compete against others that have natural gifts, you will lose.
Every time!
In Charlie Munger’s words:
“You have to figure out where you’ve got an edge. And you’ve got to play within your own circle of competence. The size of that circle is not very important; however, knowing its boundaries is vital.”
To be successful, you’ve got to know your circle of competence, then double down upon those strengths.
Remember this: Leveraging a single outstanding skill is more valuable than having a thousand mediocre ones.
I think being a generalist is like wanting to do everything. It is indeed a dangerous thing to do. Being a jack of all trades. You may end up doing little to nothing but focusing on a niche is everything.
Thanks for sharing!