Specialization is for insects: How to avoid getting left behind in your career
The title borrows a quote from American science fiction author Robert Heinlein, and I stand by it. Should we really be imitating ants, which by nature are rigidly divided into castes? The traditional model of developing skills within a single professional domain — the so-called I-form — feels outdated.
Fortunately, there's an alternative: the T-shaped model, also known as skill stacking. It suggests moving away from ultra-deep expertise in a single domain and instead building a mix of professional skills, gaining a solid foundation in multiple domains while still diving deeper into one. Why does this approach often outperform the old model? Here are three good reasons.
The Power of Combination
Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip Dilbert, coined the term 'skill stacking'. He argues that achieving absolute mastery in a single area is an uphill battle: there is always someone better, faster, or more famous. Combining different skills, however, creates a unique and competitive advantage that increases your chances of success.
'Success-wise, you’re better off being good at two complementary skills than being excellent at one'. — Scott Adams
I couldn't agree more. A mosaic of skills creates synergy: each strengthens the other. Maybe you're a mediocre artist (there are plenty of geniuses out there), a decent marketer (not exactly an industry leader), and a solid businessperson (but not the next Steve Jobs). Great! That makes you commercially viable.
Cross-pollination
Think of skills and expertise as stars in the night sky. Connecting them creates new constellations. This approach not only optimizes problem solving, but can lead to entirely new methods. Knowledge from adjacent (or even distant) fields can enhance your core work or spark breakthrough ideas.
When Russia started blocking Telegram, I was working at a creative agency running campaigns with branded Telegram stickers. Blocked links meant that users couldn't access the stickers normally and were unlikely to seek alternative solutions. Using my understanding of internet services, servers, and programming — combined with my problem-solving skills — I developed one of the first services to bypass Telegram blocks. It allowed users to access these stickers and helped the agency achieve tens of thousands of installations despite external challenges.
The transient career
Futurist Alvin Toffler introduced the concept of the transient career in the late 20th century. In the past, most career paths were linear: a junior engineer became an engineer, then a senior engineer, and maybe, if they were lucky, a chief engineer.
Toffler predicted that modern careers would increasingly resemble a series of distinct episodes, each with its own story. You might start out as a social media manager, then move into programming, then start a design studio, then retire to write children's books. Or explore a dozen other careers over the course of your life. This fragmentation, he argues, is not only normal, but will increase as the post-industrial economy evolves.
His vision is supported by the growing demand for online education, which enables rapid skill acquisition and career transitions.
To move smoothly between these 'episodes' and from one specialty to another, deep expertise in a single area is no longer enough. The broader and more diverse your skill set, the more options you'll have to make those leaps.
Photo by Mikhail Fesenko on Unsplash