One thing, then everything else
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Everyone wants to be a generalist now.
Multiple income streams. Diverse skill sets. Portfolio careers. The “slash” identity — writer/investor/advisor/podcaster. You see people online who seem to do twelve things well and you think that’s the goal.
So you spread yourself across everything. A little copywriting, a little investing, a little content, a little consulting. You’re building “optionality.” You’re staying “flexible.” You’re not putting all your eggs in one basket.
And you’re wondering why none of it is working.
You have options but no leverage. Flexibility but no foundation. You’re a dabbler with a diverse resume and nothing that makes anyone stop and pay attention.
Optionality without leverage is just a fancy way of keeping your options closed.
The people you’re trying to imitate didn’t start where they are now. They started by being dangerously good at one thing. Then they expanded. You’re trying to skip the first part.
That’s the mistake that’s costing you everything.
The Order Nobody Talks About
There’s an order to this that almost nobody explains clearly: Depth creates leverage. Breadth creates options. But depth comes first. You can’t diversify what you haven’t yet concentrated.
Watch what actually happens when someone tries to build breadth before depth. They learn a little marketing, a little finance, a little sales, a little product. They know something about everything and nothing well enough to be dangerous. When an opportunity shows up, they can talk about it but can’t execute at a high level. When a problem needs solving, they can contribute but can’t lead. When someone asks “what do you do?” they give a three-minute answer that sounds impressive and means nothing.
They have range but no spike. And in a world drowning in competent generalists, range without a spike is invisible.
Now watch what happens when someone goes deep first. They pick one thing and get so good at it that people seek them out. They build a reputation. They become the person you call when that specific problem needs solving. Then — and this is the part people miss — that depth becomes a foundation for everything else.
The deep expertise in one area gives them pattern recognition that transfers. The reputation gives them credibility to expand. The leverage from being exceptional at one thing funds their ability to explore adjacent areas.
They didn’t skip depth to get to breadth. Depth is what made breadth possible.
