Comments on: Be Unique, Be an Uber-Geek

By: Tyler Mauthe

Tyler Mauthe — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:15:28 +0000

You should totally go and get that second degree! I am taking a brand new hybrid degree program. It combines exactly that, Computer Science and Business in one… It’s called the Bachelors of Computer Information Systems and Business at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

Perhaps you could look into getting a minor in Comp Sci?

By: What if You Have More Than One Passion? « Scott H Young

What if You Have More Than One Passion? « Scott H Young — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:02:33 +0000

[...] Diverse interests put you at an advantage here. Because although becoming the best at one common skill set is almost impossible, it is easier to become the best at an overlap between two or three different skills. [...]

By: Scott Young

Scott Young — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:00:29 +0000

Laser,

Agreed. I hope my advice doesn’t seem to promote that you should become a Jack of All Trades. Specializing and having a lot of skill in one area is incredibly important.

My point was that side-skills and interests tend to clump together. If you can pull them apart, that gives you the opportunity to make connections other people miss.

The best way I’ve seen it put before is the T model. That means you have a lot of skill in one area (the vertical part of the ‘T’) and you have moderate levels of skill in a broad area (the horizontal part of the ‘T’). This post should be interpreted as saying that the flat part of your “T” should be truly broad, and not just fit into common classifications.

By: Laser

Laser — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:59:43 +0000

This is a very interesting idea. However, I think trying to attain too many skills can hinder your ability to specialize in any one of them. You may end up just knowing the basics of all the skills, but will not be able to excel in any area. There was some quote about it, something like a man who knows everything is an expert in nothing, geez that sounds awful, it really makes sense from the wise man’s words.

Also, I once heard someone say, “I now know enough martial arts to get my ass kicked.”

So although it is a good idea to form a unique skill set, one should be careful not to get too carried away with it.

Btw, great site, you have achieved a lot at such a young (no pun intended) age, it’s quite an inspiration