The Mind of Steve

In my previous post  I looked at a very superficial level at the distinctions between being a Generalist and being a Specialist, and laid my own cards on the table: a lifelong Generalist in more than just technology skills. Today, let's go a little deeper, into what makes a Generalist or a Specialist and how they mix together in a software engineering team. There is a place - there is a need, even - on a software team for both the Generalist and the Specialist. Whether you are wired to go ever-deeper in your expertise and specialization or to go intermediate-deep on any given topic but apply that same depth across a wider breadth, you have a role to play. And we need each other; there are both strengths and weaknesses, pro's and cons, advantages and disadvantages in each approach. A need to balance each other, The Specialist's Deep Expertise I used to work with a fellow who was a lifelong fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team. Not just a fan, a fanatic. But his fanatic...