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A lot of programmers think of themselves as generalists because they’ve built web apps in several languages and know both front end and backend development. I

A lot of programmers think of themselves as generalists because they’ve built web apps in several languages and know both front end and backend development. I disagree. These people are just specialists in web dev. The knowledge within web development is diverse and actually easy to learn but it does not make you a generalist. You are a generalist if you have knowledge about different fields within software engineering. So for example, if you’re good at: machine learning and writing compilers, doing operating system development, front end development with react, OpenGL/Vulcan development with c++, Database development. then you are a generalist. Generalists are truly rare. specialists in compiler development are also rare. Specialists in web development are abundant. Practically every show HN is some sort of website.

amelius 6y ago
No, a generalist is someone who can't do all those things. They just know a little about all those fields.
- neonological 6y ago
  Everyone knows a little about all these things. Heck the computer science curriculum at every university pretty much makes it so all students know a little of everything. Does that make every CS student a generalist? No. The generalist must have competent capability to be hired in several of those fields.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
Dudeman112 6y ago
I don't think there are many fields out there where you'd need comparatively that much expertise in so many subfields before you got to call yourself a generalist.
- neonological 6y ago
  I've met people with max competency in 3 separate fields. I've also met people with more competency if you count fields outside of computer science. I'm not saying they were specialists, I'm saying these people were competent. Most people are only competent or a specialist in one of these fields.
  - Dudeman112 6y ago
    Can a general practitioner call himself a generalist? How many subfields does a mechanical engineer need to be competent in before they can be labeled a generalist? What about lawyers?
    - neonological 6y ago
      > Can a general practitioner call himself a generalist? A generalist practitioner in the case of a Doctor isn't really a specialist. You need additional schooling to specialize. So a specialist technically knows more than a "general practitioner" for doctors. For this context, a generalist refers to someone who specialized in more fields than one. So a brain surgeon and a cancer specialist would be more general than someone who only does brain surgery. >How many subfields does a mechanical engineer need to be competent in before they can be labeled a generalist? Don't know. It's not formally defined. But it has got to be more than one. >What about lawyers? Same as above, I guess.

amelius 6y ago

No, a generalist is someone who can't do all those things. They just know a little about all those fields.

neonological 6y ago
Everyone knows a little about all these things. Heck the computer science curriculum at every university pretty much makes it so all students know a little of everything. Does that make every CS student a generalist? No. The generalist must have competent capability to be hired in several of those fields.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

Dudeman112 6y ago

I don't think there are many fields out there where you'd need comparatively that much expertise in so many subfields before you got to call yourself a generalist.

neonological 6y ago
I've met people with max competency in 3 separate fields. I've also met people with more competency if you count fields outside of computer science. I'm not saying they were specialists, I'm saying these people were competent. Most people are only competent or a specialist in one of these fields.
- Dudeman112 6y ago
  Can a general practitioner call himself a generalist? How many subfields does a mechanical engineer need to be competent in before they can be labeled a generalist? What about lawyers?
  - neonological 6y ago
    > Can a general practitioner call himself a generalist? A generalist practitioner in the case of a Doctor isn't really a specialist. You need additional schooling to specialize. So a specialist technically knows more than a "general practitioner" for doctors. For this context, a generalist refers to someone who specialized in more fields than one. So a brain surgeon and a cancer specialist would be more general than someone who only does brain surgery. >How many subfields does a mechanical engineer need to be competent in before they can be labeled a generalist? Don't know. It's not formally defined. But it has got to be more than one. >What about lawyers? Same as above, I guess.