Why do we need to be a generalist in a specialized world? Reviewing RANGE
Recently completed: Range by David Epstein. A masterful book, that challenges our core assumption that hyperspecialization is the key to success. My key takeaways:
Top performers in any field do not specialise at an early age so why should we?
Elite Athletes (think Roger Federer) focused on their main sport at a later age than non-elite athletes. They enjoy a diverse range of sports before they zero in on their passion. M.S. Dhoni, arguably Indian cricket’s most famous wicketkeeper captain, was a football goalkeeper who decided to switch sports.
In our youth, we often try to chase the higher salaries, fast track growth paths, which are typically given to those who become specialists at an early stage. But studies show, that switching career tracks gives you a higher chance of success. Let’s take some famous examples:
Lloyd Blankfein, former CEO of Goldman Sachs started his career as a :
Banker ❎
Lawyer ✅
David Calhoun, CEO of Boeing started is career as a:
Pilot ❎
Accountant ✅
And the list goes on and on.. Most successful people have had a diverse set of careers before settling into the career that earned them true success. The book argues that this is not a coincidence. There is a strong correlation between the two and possibly a strong causation.
More Failure = Greater Success?
<Couldn't resist adding my favourite Office reference (very apt here!)>
This is a very counterintuitive point, but makes sense if you think about it. Essentially it’s a simple set of equations:
Equation 1: Trying different things = Failing more = Learning from mistakes
Equation 2: Learning from mistakes = Taking calculated risks = Making smart decisions
Equation 3: Making smart decisions = Increased probability of a big success
Ultimately, those who skip 1 and 2, will never end up making smart decisions, ultimately reducing their probability of success.
Education is broken
My favourite takeaway from this book, and my biggest lament in the modern world. Our education system is broken and needs immediate reform to fix.
Focus on rote learning and what the author David Epstein calls as a “Set of Procedures”:
Set of Procedures = Follow Step 1 > Step 2 > Step 3
The problem with this method is that the real world does not work this way. There are never standardised situations which allow us to follow this exact sequence of events.
Students who are very good at learning procedures, ace exams but do not do well in real life.
The solution?
Mimic the real world, and teach students through pattern matching:
Pattern matching — Pattern matching is simply just identifying patterns. You do this by deconstructing a problem into its constituent parts and solving each part based on its identifiable characteristics.
