What Is the Value of Being a Generalist?

Chase Jarvis and best-selling author David Epstein discuss human performance, creativity, and the pros and cons of specialization in a career.

David, a former sports journalist and the author of "The Sports Gene" and "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World," says that early specialization can be counterproductive and that having a wide variety of talents is necessary to succeed in a dynamic world that is continuously changing.

By "skill stacking", we can use the power of our own unique background and experiences to advance our careers. He underlines that we should view our profession as an 8-lane highway where we can pick up contacts and talents as we advance. In this way, we can take these skills and unleash them in other places.

Some highlights from the conversation:

• Demystifying the '10,000 hours to mastery' myth
• How some people excel and others don't, and why
• Understanding the differences between generalization and specialization
• What approach to take when pursuing a particular craft
• Why there's more than one way to succeed
• Bridging the generational divide between parents' expectations and our generation's reality

Enjoy!