The Bootstrapped Founder

260: Milly Tamati — The Power and Potential of Generalists

Oct 18, 2023

51:18

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Milly Tamati, a staunch defender and empoweress of generalists, talks about the employability of people who don’t fit into a category, the puzzle pieces that generalists are in destroying knowledge silos, and the power of a community of generalists. They also discuss the stigma surrounding generalists, the challenges of community building, the advantages of an empty calendar, and the value of diverse experiences and knowledge transfer.

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Quick takeaways

Generalists offer a unique perspective and can work alongside specialists to solve complex and diverse challenges.

The narrative around generalists is changing from being seen as less valuable to being recognized as impactful contributors.

Deep dives

The Importance of Generalists and Building a Community for Them

Milly Tamatee has built a community called Generalist World for people who consider themselves generalists. Generalists are individuals who have a diverse range of skills and interests and can bring a unique perspective to problem-solving. Milly shares that generalists have been around forever, but there has been a shift in recent times to view generalism as a positive trait. Generalists excel at learning and problem-solving, specializing in their ability to tackle complex and diverse challenges. In the past, being a generalist was often stigmatized, but there is now a growing recognition and appreciation for their diverse skill sets. This shift is fueled by the need to solve big and complex problems in today's society. Generalists offer a unique perspective and can work alongside specialists to untangle these challenges. Milly also highlights the importance of curiosity as a key trait of generalists, as it drives them to constantly learn and adapt. Generalist World provides a trusted and non-performative space for generalists to connect, contribute, and support each other.

Introduction

2min

Evolution of the Generalist

28min

Building Relationships and Avoiding Transactional Behaviors

6min

Prioritizing Opportunities and Building Community

4min

Embracing an Empty Calendar and the Power of Being Different

4min

The Power of Generalists

4min

The Power and Potential of Generalists

3min

We hire specialists. Deep knowledge in one field, not many skills in all the others. We value and celebrate specialists with promising career paths, titles, and promotions.

Can generalists exist in a world of such intricate and complex work requirements?

The person who made me realize that it's possible is Milly Tamati, a staunch defender and empoweress of generalists all over the world. I chatted with Milly about the employability of people who don’t fit into a category, why generalists are the puzzle pieces that allow organizations to destroy knowledge silos, and how incredibly powerful a community of generalists can be.

Join me on The Bootstrapped Founder this week as I talk to Milly Tamati about The Generalists’ World.

00:00:00 The Rise of Generalists
00:07:55 Generalists in Workforce Diversity
00:18:49 Building and Cultivating a Generalist Community
00:30:42 Building a Community and Evaluating Opportunities
00:40:12 Community and Success in Unconventional Paths
00:45:49 Announcing the Launch of a Podcast

Milly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MillyTamati
Generalist World: https://www.generalist.world/
The Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/generallycurious/

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/milly-tamati-the-power-and-potential-of-generalists/

The podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/bef7a764

The video: https://youtu.be/Cll1GMGzLNQ

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com