## Metadata - Author:: [[ycombinator.com|Ycombinator]] - Full Title:: What Is a Wildcard Person? - Category:: #🗞️Articles - Document Tags:: [[Generalist vs specialist|Generalist Vs Specialist]], [[Generalist vs specialist|Generalist Vs Specialist]] - URL:: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34157907 - Finished date:: [[2022-12-28]] ## Highlights - It doesn't pay well. Job security is non-existent. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5syh6afnyn7qtwh32zhp7)) - It is too far out of the regular career spectrum, and you face even open criticism in interviews for this sometimes. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5smezsvrekvf2f7jbkd5c)) - Before that, they were known as "generalists", autodidacts, polymaths, etc. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5tgk67b8vhy6gfy09watd)) - If you care about things like income and career progression, do *not* let yourself become one of these people. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5vm577rj6ge2sp39k348k)) - Well-run organizations -- that is, organizations that can afford to pay good money for talent -- have clearly defined roles for people ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5vwq4c8tpx3mtebfja70g)) - I have the opposite experience. Being a generalist allowed me to "climb" fast at my current company as I am able to lead projects holistically and coordinate cross-functional teams. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5wd0dqjktpwc4eh39qpxb)) - I prefer the quote from Heinlein ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5zmhxmg9g1wr082k0x9e2)) - A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5zqkvb0kqw5zpx1v6587p)) - Consultants get paid a lot of money and their work changes frequently. This is a *great* place to be if you're a "wildcard". ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc60fabtg1ehe26ywp5fw4s)) - No one really wants to hire someone who doesn't have some specific talent. So you're a "generalist X", not just a "generalist". ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc61awz1wcfcf4km5re7c8k)) - a few key points which has served me well so far. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc62h75epqm9tjv7057b2x6)) - produce results ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc62p3v98szdg0dc8k1qste)) - Fairly good communication skills ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc62wrvmnf1m3vkacafz44x)) - I don't find it very persuasive, and based on my own experiences being a generalist for the majority of my career, I can say it certainly doesn't apply to me. My compensation is >$500k a year and I've been a software engineer since 2010. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc6429xdvjbebgm3s4sqzjq))  ## Metadata - Author: [[ycombinator.com|Ycombinator]] - Full Title:: What Is a Wildcard Person? - Category:: #🗞️Articles - Document Tags:: [[Generalist vs specialist|Generalist Vs Specialist]], [[Generalist vs specialist|Generalist Vs Specialist]] - URL:: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34157907 - Finished date:: [[2023-01-25]] ## Highlights - It doesn't pay well. Job security is non-existent. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5syh6afnyn7qtwh32zhp7)) - It is too far out of the regular career spectrum, and you face even open criticism in interviews for this sometimes. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5smezsvrekvf2f7jbkd5c)) - Before that, they were known as "generalists", autodidacts, polymaths, etc. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5tgk67b8vhy6gfy09watd)) - If you care about things like income and career progression, do *not* let yourself become one of these people. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5vm577rj6ge2sp39k348k)) - Well-run organizations -- that is, organizations that can afford to pay good money for talent -- have clearly defined roles for people ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5vwq4c8tpx3mtebfja70g)) - I have the opposite experience. Being a generalist allowed me to "climb" fast at my current company as I am able to lead projects holistically and coordinate cross-functional teams. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5wd0dqjktpwc4eh39qpxb)) - I prefer the quote from Heinlein ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5zmhxmg9g1wr082k0x9e2)) - A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc5zqkvb0kqw5zpx1v6587p)) - Consultants get paid a lot of money and their work changes frequently. This is a *great* place to be if you're a "wildcard". ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc60fabtg1ehe26ywp5fw4s)) - No one really wants to hire someone who doesn't have some specific talent. So you're a "generalist X", not just a "generalist". ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc61awz1wcfcf4km5re7c8k)) - a few key points which has served me well so far. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc62h75epqm9tjv7057b2x6)) - produce results ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc62p3v98szdg0dc8k1qste)) - Fairly good communication skills ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc62wrvmnf1m3vkacafz44x)) - I don't find it very persuasive, and based on my own experiences being a generalist for the majority of my career, I can say it certainly doesn't apply to me. My compensation is >$500k a year and I've been a software engineer since 2010. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01gnc6429xdvjbebgm3s4sqzjq))