Hello and welcome to the Generalist’s Thinkbox!

I’m Elhadj, an entrepreneur/indie hacker and a generalist. I want to help you find your purpose by sharing practical and actionable content. Being a generalist can be overwhelming, but by connecting the dots, you can gain perspective, productivity, and opportunities.

I hope you learn something useful from every issue. Your feedback is welcome and valuable!

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For now, let's get on with today's program :

• The Generalist’s Dilemma: Breadth or Depth?

• Generalist' Digest

• Relevant Content I Like

Let's get to it!

P.S: This is part of a series of 20 articles on being a generalist. We'll explore the means and tools to figure out our own path as a generalist. Each entry will focus on a specific topic, so if you have any preference just hit reply!

The Generalist’s Dilemma: Breadth or Depth?

A lot of generalists suffer from what’s known as ‘shiny object syndrome’.

It refers to a tendency to be drawn to new topics/fields/projects without finishing what was already started. Don’t get me wrong, this is neither good nor bad per se, it’s all about the tangible benefits we can draw.

It’s important for us to follow that impulse. Not as a distraction, but rather as a way to express ourselves.

It’s what David Epstein refers to as ‘sampling’ in his book ‘Range’. We need to go through multiple experiences to figure out what we truly like. But at one point, the question of whether to go ‘deep’ on a topic or not will arise.

If you’ve read the previous issues of this newsletter, you may start to know I’m all about systemizing our approach as much as possible.

It’s the same in this situation. Choosing when to go broad or deep can be determined by understanding the context. More specifically, we need to understand whether we’re in a kind learning environment or a wicked learning environment. As these two will require dramatically different approaches.

Read more about it in my latest article on Hackernoon!

Or if you're short on time: YT Short

Generalist' Digest:

📜 Study: Brining a totally different perspective into a new field is where usually generalists are pretty great. And as it turns out, having a ‘beginner’s mind’ yields the highest results!

🧠 Thinking: To fuel the conversation started above, maybe there’s a way to learn about something new before going all in?

🌟Interesting: Finding ‘meaningful work’ is always a big one for generalists. In reality, passion for a topic acts as a lubricant in business, making it easier to recruit, raise money, and sell products

Content I Like :

Sometimes I'd recommend a cool piece of content/content creator!

So if you’re a beginner to tech and you’re looking to go down the corporate route, I got you

Level Up is a cool way to get a foot in the door. You can get guidance for portfolio projects and show it off to recruiters in 6 weeks. If you complete the challenge, you'll even get your money back. Worth checking out!

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