A really important step is getting really good at /something/. Once you've done that, it's much easier to hit a similar level of competence in new areas a bit f

A really important step is getting really good at /something/. Once you've done that, it's much easier to hit a similar level of competence in new areas a bit faster. A big part of being good at something is really mastering the fundamentals. I tend to think it's possible to turn 'master the fundamentals' into a kind of transferable skill. Another big part of mastery is pattern recognition, which develops from sheer experience. To some extent, learning to recognize important types of patterns is also a transferable skill.