How Generalists Win In The Information Age

In one of my last video I made the case that we are on the verge of a second renaissance, with many parallels to the last renaissance. So it begs the question - how do you crush it during that time. Like Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Copernicus, Galilei, the Medicis and others did back then. How do you have an impact on the world and create a great life for yourself? That’s what this video is about. Creating the modern day or digital Renaissance Man.

Sources:

[tillmusshoff]

Hope you enjoy this one! One thing I forgot to mention is that my obsession with Bitcoin came with this exact generalistic, multi-disciplinary approach. There are few things more interesting to look at holistically than Bitcoin. Networks, cryptography, economics, money, psychology, freedom and so much more bundled into one!

[michaelcortez]

"Jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one"

[michaelyoon]

I used to think generalists were useless because medicine encourages specialization. I started to realize that actually knowing a little bit of everything from ALL fields, however irrelevant they may seem to one other, is crucial to just being successful in life. Jack of all trade, master of none is better than master of one.

[DevinCBeck]

Thanks for the video. Since I begin learning programming I have created applications to automate my work and also create tools for personal use. It has also allowed me the opportunity to move from labor work to using my brain. I start my first IT job next month which is one step closer to my future CS job. I've found that if I'm patient enough to read through documentation I can do almost anything on a computer. It's mostly when I only skim the material that I get frustrated with the process.

[Iceehockey]

Absolutely stellar. This is such an important concept - and love that you pulled the Naval quotes in. Permissionless leverage (via computer/digital literacy) gives the average person exponentially more power than in years past. It's mind blowing all the tools available (and many free!).

Everyone is suddenly realizing it's not about 'coder' vs 'not-a-coder' - it's about - can you think critically, learn quickly, and problem solve. That is the 'coders' mindset - and it can be used on any of these SaaS/Low-Code integrated tools these days.

[ElenGlazova]

I was always curious about many things and pursued a variety of interests, including traditional and digital art, graphic design, animation, photography, and choreography. Recently, I started working in film as a director by combining all of these skills. At first, I was worried that my broad interests would make me mediocre in any one area, but I've come to realize that following my curiosity and developing a range of skills has allowed me to create something new and unique. Thank you for the video.

[edboss]

My friend, this is my favourite video on YouTube because I agree with EVERY single point. Generalists are the future of the world. Imagine hiring 30 different people who are experts at one skill whereas 5 intellectuals who can learn 2x quicker and think diversely. Keep making videos like this it's great and this topic is so interesting, it's going to be a good 10 years

[rando]

There is a character class in dungeons and dragons called a bard. They can fight with a sword and cast spells, initially not as well as a warrior or a wizard in either. As they level up, they add expertise on top of their general knowledge that allows them to stand on nearly equal footing in both domains as the specialists. I've always admired that sort of dedication to be more of everything

[ascendikhealth]

This video is pure gold! This is my last day in the company and I start freelance life from now on..

[KL]

"Do not want to compete with someone who is playing all day doing what he loves while it fells like work for you." Great way of saying it. We could start a discussion about where would our society be if most of us could just follow our interests instead of working all day.

[Hynoticabrand]

We consume so much content. I’m honestly tired and distracted most of the time. Time to breathe for a bit.

[freethinker]

This was an extremely helpful video. This is why I love youtube. Sometimes you don't have a friend or family member to bring the full picture together for you. For someone that is 31, newer to tech, working remotely, and watching the world change into the digital age. When you first start realizing you need to shift your skills and future-proof your career life it can be overwhelming when you see people focusing on specific job types within the digital world. This video helped me realize it's not about becoming a YouTuber, coder, or podcaster it's about having Digital Literacy and permissionless skills in general. This really gave me a full, high-level view of what is happening and gave me a better direction to focus my attention. Thank you. 💛

[iosaccoleman]

You've outdone yourself again Till. This is hits on so many fantastic jems.

[ronbackal]

Want to give a bit of more balanced review,

1) the video is inspiring indeed .

2) I think that as much as exercise is important, many people specially talented people were not very healthy or active( Riemann for example was in bad health) and some were athletes (like Turing). So just keep in mind that if you have an health problem it shouldn’t keep you away from anything!

3) this video hails a certain kind of eye catching individuals, yet a lot of the people inside google for example are specialists. Making a speech recognition mechanism is super specific and requires depth of understanding. So I think the world needs the people that can lead because they think broadly and those that can go deeply into one thing

[markmonfort]

As a fellow generalist, this video was brilliant. Solidifies why I choose the path I do across the various things I know.

That full quote as well "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one"

[dhrumil]

Man this is the video which describes everything which is in my mind, my problems, solutions and what my inner self really wants for the life each and every second of this video was all that I wanted. 🤯

[mounirb]

Good video!
I would not go as far as comparing multidisciplinary scientists and artists like Da Vinci to today's freelance devs and artists.
Both are generalists, and starting as one leads to genius, but only if it doesn't stop at freelance work or learning to just adapt.
I would call this 'shy experimentation', as you only pointed at using new tools, neither defining them, nor challenging old convictions.


All in all, it feels good to find such content.
It's inspiring, and can go a long way.

[FictionCautious]

True. I really don't know anything more amazing than the flow state.
There is hope. Love is the answer.

[imkerswanepoel]

I like your videos and agree with what you say. One thing I would add though as someone who likes both coding and physical engineering, I believe that although software is important, it's not going to solve many of the issues that we will face in the future. We need good hardware engineers to solve our food, energy and health problems. I think it's equally as important to get people excited about hardware as much as software

[Neutrino]

I’ve always been curious about everything and I would consider myself a jack of all trades. One thing I noticed is that school and work drain that ability away from me. Causing me intellectual fatigue.

Covid was a blessing for me because when I lost my job, I was curious about everything and began to read/learn more than I have in my life. I still needed to pay the bills so I had to get a job and I can feel myself lose that curiosity.

I’m making it a life goal of mine to build up the experience to be a freelance software developer so that I can work whenever I wanted and how long I wanted. Instead of working traditional 9-5 hours where, personally, my work efficiency goes down hill after 4 hours causing the rest to waste time.