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The T-shape metaphor is imperfect. In reality, going deep doesn't mean digging down into an isolated vertical of knowledge. Knowledge is a graph. To gain more k
by gradys 10y ago
The T-shape metaphor is imperfect. In reality, going deep doesn't mean digging down into an isolated vertical of knowledge. Knowledge is a graph. To gain more knowledge in one topic, you've got to traverse the graph, following edges most likely to lead you to a better understanding of the topic. Inevitably, during this traversal, you'll encounter many adjacent topics. The deeper you go, the more adjacent topics you'll encounter. Some amount of breadth comes as a natural side-effect of depth. There are few topics where chasing depth will lead you into a totally isolated subgraph for the simple reason that topics that don't relate to other topics tend to be less useful to study.
- startupdiscuss 10y agoBut then -- to bayonetz point -- are we really giving any negative advice? Just learn? There are only so many hours in the day. Is there anything we are recommending against?
- rwallace 10y agoThere are two things we are recommending against. 1. Sinking too far into a rut, getting to the point where you have a narrow specialty (fine) but identify with it and are uncomfortable with even thinking about anything outside it. 2. Trying to do everything. With all due respect to Heinlein, specialisation exists for good reason. There will be zillions of worthwhile things you never learn much about because you can't spare the time, and that's okay. In other words, being I-shaped is a problem when circumstances change, and being rectangular is a fool's errand; that's the context in which we recommend being T-shaped.