Are you a jack of all trades?

Most people butcher this line:

“A jack of all trades is a master of none…”

But the real ending flips the meaning:

“…but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

The full version doesn’t slam generalists—it praises them. And in the AI era, this is more true than ever.

Why it matters now:
AI rewards synthesis, not silos. Tools like ChatGPT blur the walls between marketing, product, and ops. The people who win? The ones who can connect the dots.

Look at startup founders. They’re rarely pure specialists. They go deep enough in one craft to earn credibility, but stay broad enough to spot plays others miss.

Static expertise is fragile. If your one skill gets automated, you’re toast. Range + curiosity lets you pivot faster than the tech curve can commoditize you.

How to build a high-leverage agency:

• Build a T-shape. Go deep in one discipline for authority, but spend ~30% of your energy on adjacent skills every quarter.

• Run 30-day sprints. Pick one emerging AI tool each month, build something small, and document what you learn.

• Map value chains, not job titles. Understand the flow from concept to revenue in your org, then learn enough of each stage to remove friction.

• Continue learning. The most influential leaders love to learn, and they learn in different ways. If this sounds like you, you’re a true commodity in the age of AI.

This isn’t about dabbling. It’s about building a network of skills that compound and complement each other.

The gut-check question: Are you guarding a narrow moat, or expanding the whole map?

In the AI age, the second one wins. Range is the ultimate force multiplier.

To expanding your skills,
Eric Siu

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