Speedo-Shaped Skillset

There's a concept in education known as the "T-shaped skillset". It says you should aim to have deep expertise in one area (the vertical bar of the "T") and know atleast a little about a wide range of topics (the horizontal bar).

I think this is great advice, however, the "T" shape is a bit awkward to use in practice. Your skills don't really fit in this strict binary categorization (deep vs broad). In reality there's more of a gradient, kind of a speedo-shape:

The single skill at the bottom is your area of expertise. As you move up the speedo, each row has more and more items and you devote less and less time to them.

For me, it was really difficult to commit to a single main skill. I don't have a niche life's work that clearly stands out, or a specialized role within software. So it forced me to think through and rank my skills. I used a combination of how much interest I have in the skill, and how useful it is in terms of practical application, career growth, etc.

I recommend making your speedo aspirational, as opposed to a snapshot of your current skill levels. If you already are an expert in an area, then great, put that at the bottom. But for most people, we'll want to make our speedo a guide that helps us focus our studies.

After filling out your speedo, you now have a budget for how much time to spend practicing your different skills. You won't feel guilty for indulging in a small side quest as long as the time you spend is proportional to where that skill lives on your speedo. A good rule of thumb is that your main skill is something that you practice daily, the skills around the middle are weekly, and towards the top monthly.

Want to make your own? You can use this template on excalidraw.

Start by writing down your skills in a simple list. Then experiment with placing them one by one somewhere on the speedo.

Take your time, and explore your ocean of possibilities 🤿.