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To quote from the Valve Handbook [1]: > We value “T-shaped” people. That is, people who are both generalists (highly skilled at a broad set of valuable things—
by BenoitP 10y ago
To quote from the Valve Handbook [1]:
> We value “T-shaped” people. That is, people who are both generalists (highly skilled at a broad set of valuable things—the top of the T) and also experts (among the best in their field within a narrow discipline—the vertical leg of the T). This recipe is important for success at Valve. We often have to pass on people who are very strong generalists without expertise, or vice versa. An expert who is too narrow has difficulty collaborating. A generalist who doesn’t go deep enough in a single area ends up on the margins, not really contributing as an individual.
Where you choose to be deep should be an area of interest to you and which the market values.
[1] http://www.valvesoftware.com/company/Valve_Handbook_LowRes.pdf http://www.valvesoftware.com/company/Valve_Handbook_LowRes.p...
- bryanlarsen 10y agoTo push the analogy even further: paint drip people. https://www.facebook.com/notes/kent-beck/paint-drip-people/1226700000696195 https://www.facebook.com/notes/kent-beck/paint-drip-people/1...
- TeMPOraL 10y agoYeah, I guess he coined the name. I used to call it "bicycle-wheel-shaped human" - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12226420 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12226420. (Actually, I still call it that way. I like my analogy better - it highlights that at some point, skills tend to connect to each other, and you end up discovering a common base connecting separated disciplines of thought.)
- rkangel 10y agoThat also is the term that we use to describe the people we're looking for.
- cylinder 10y agoPeople who are highly skilled at most things and top experts in one thing are highly valued. Revolutionary!
- usgroup 10y agoHilarious, we like the broad and deep. Because the broad are not deep and the deep are not broad. I think be broad by default and acquire depth when you need to...