Should I be an Internet Specialist or an Internet Generalist?

To be successful on the Internet, what should you rather be?

- An Internet specialist or an Internet generalist?

This article explores this question further.

The case for being an Internet specialist:

The more you know and understand the lower level detail about an opportunity, the better equipped you are to work out useful, relevant products and services for it.

Detailed, specialist knowledge enables you to design a very good standalone product for your specialist subject area.

Generalist knowledge is not required, but will help.

Therefore, be a specialist.

The case for being an Internet generalist:

Broader overview knowledge of several subject areas enables you to see how these subject areas can be collectively addressed using a combination of other products and services.

Specialist knowledge is not required, but will help.

Therefore, be a generalist.

Internet success needs both:

Generally speaking, there is too much advice going around that stresses that you must be a specialist. This results in too many isolated islands of specialist excellence out there.

What I think the Internet world desperately needs more of, is generalists. Generalists can see how many isolated islands of excellence can be combined into a much more powerful overall, seamless island.

Specialists are too focussed to notice the considerable value of their specialist knowledge within a larger design, a design easily seen by the generalist.

You must have specialist skills to 'know your topic'.

You must have generalist skills to be able to see the useful relevance of your specialist skills.

Specialists base their actions and decisions on how they know it works, based on proven, historic detailed facts.

Generalists base their actions and decisions on how they see and think it might work, based on their gut-feel insight.

Specialists are very good operational, day-to-day managers.

Generalists are very good strategic, longer-term leaders.

But, a leading edge Internet strategy needs leading edge execution.

Therefore, we need both.

Can you be excellent at both?

I do not think so. You usually have very strong feelings about which of those outlooks is 'best'.

Implications to you and your Internet business

- Be aware of these two opposing points of view: specialist versus generalist
- Be aware of the point of view you belief is 'best'
- Be aware of the point of view of your business partners
- Keep in mind that differences you have might be caused by differences in these outlooks.

Just focus on being the best with what you belief in – and appreciate the valuable contribution of the 'other' side.

(Disclosure: I prefer being considered a generalist, so this article leans towards describing generalists as being the 'best'.)

Author:

This article, by Alwyn Botha, is part of his free, 10-day autoresponder course: Intermediate Guide to Maximum Internet Success, available from http://www.leveragedsuccess.com

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