Becoming a T-shaped person: Year end reflections

On being a specialized generalist, the future of AI-enabled work, and more hard-earned wisdom

Dec 15, 2023

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It’s been a while, but I didn’t really have anything wildly interesting or original to say anyway. I do want to keep with one tradition, though — here I answer the same questions at the end of each year. See posts from 2022 (No Hurry, No Pause) and 2021 (Humanize Thyself).

We’re married! Our ceremony was held in a planetarium. My better half worked with a game developer to build this looped animation in Unreal (Project Ray)

What over the past year has made you angry about this world? What is not fair?

How the US lost thousands of high-skilled workers to Canada. The massive layoffs in the tech industry had an unfair impact on H-1B holders, who faced deportation if they didn’t find a new job. America’s future prosperity lies in attracting and retaining top talent, which we have left to chance to an ill-conceived lottery system. We need more immigrant energy here, where only the end result matters. I also literally wouldn’t exist if my parents weren’t allowed to immigrate to the US. Can you tell I’m a patriot?
I will continue to harp on Toxic TikTok — I believe the algorithm vortex is a net negative to American society, especially for Gen Z. A US federal judge agrees.

What worries you most about the future? What change would you like to see?

Now more than ever, individuals need to adapt as the world changes exponentially.

Stanford held our 5th year undergrad reunion this year and it’s crazy to reflect how different the world in 2023 looks than in 2018. It’s even crazier when you think how short 5 years really is. People say “time flies” and reminisce on the quaint old days, but what really is flying by is the changing world around us.

I call this the half-life of paradigm shifts — how long it takes until the next world-changing thing. Within 5 years, we’ve had a pandemic, two major world conflicts, the downfall of two tech ~~gods~~ frauds, the end of zero interest rates, softening of commercial real estate, a real threat of China invading Taiwan, 50/50 on an impending (?) recession, AI reaching an inflection point that can upend work as we know it… I’m getting whiplash just writing this, let alone living through it all.

It’s like someone hit 2x playback speed — what would have taken 10 years for all these events to happen only took 5. And the half-life of paradigm shifts continues to compress:

I am a techno-optimist at heart. But I also have genuine concerns about how AI will change the rules of the game for knowledge workers. People talk about the pandemic-induced mental health crisis. But the bigger crisis is the AI tsunami wave coming — and how we keep people sane when their purpose in work has been displaced.

Before you lull yourself into a false sense of security by thinking, “Surely my job is safe from AI,” — consider this table that lists genetic counselors as the most exposed occupation to advances in AI technologies:

I feel simultaneously attacked and flattered by this as I’m both a genetic counselor and a dancer 😂 Source

Put it another way: what percent of code existing on the internet is now AI-generated? How about copywriting? Customer support? Reviews? News articles? Digital art? Social media content? Newsletters? Music? Podcasts? Investment research? Books? Movies? Video games?

If this all sounds too far-fetched, what about the percentage of all these things being AI-generated in 5 years? 10? 20?

Humans often think linearly, whereas technological progress usually happens exponentially — slow at first, then shockingly fast. We know this, yet we continue to be surprised when a critical inflection point happens. The deception lies in the early days when both growth patterns appear linear.

Tsung Xu illustrates here why we underestimate the clean energy transition, an illustration that applies to many breakthrough technologies.

What excites you about the future?

Two opposing views can be simultaneously true. Stripping back the hype (and doom), AI can be the saving grace and MVP to future productivity.

Smartphones enabled applications previously not possible with the internet and personal computing alone. Imagine calling an Uber in the middle of the city with your laptop — how would that work?

So, interesting questions worth pondering: what can AI uniquely enable that has not previously been possible? What are the characteristics of companies that can benefit most from generative AI? What kinds of startups will actually make money using AI and not just be a flash in the pan?

Is there something that doesn’t make sense to you? Maybe it’s even a bit funny?

This year’s reflection is getting a bit dense. So here are some memes to answer this question, for your viewing pleasure:

*click to watch the video below:

tradedvc

A post shared by @tradedvc

What do you need to grieve about from the past year?

Experiencing long COVID firsthand. I know people have different reactions to “long COVID,” with some doctors dismissing it outright. But being almost bed-bound for months was a very real experience for me. I’d like to think I’m a relatively sane person and not just psychosomatic. No part of me “enjoyed” losing half of 2023 to poor health. It feels disheartening to let myself and others down. The good news is that I’m much better now, and that’s all that matters.

When did you fall in love with a new activity? Why did you fall in love with this?

People ask me about my path thus far. The irony is that I never intended to get into life science investing. Growing up, I thought investing seemed boring. To me, “value investing” sounded like a fancy way of saying you sit on your ass and read all day. But I later discovered investing is a mindset — an intellectual promise to be a lifelong learner, seeker of truth, and discerning champion for promising solutions to the world’s biggest problems.

I fell into this after following my own curiosities and exploring many career paths like trying lives on. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing in 5 years, but I know I’ll continue to evolve and hopefully be able to serve others along the way. Maybe I’ll step back into an operator role for the right company. At any rate, 5 years is a long time in today’s world. Who knows what jobs will be replaced by AI then (kidding, but not really 😅)

What wisdom did you gain this year and how did you gain it?

Talent stacking > master of one craft — You’re more valuable talent stacking a few skills that are rarely combined than aiming for mastery at one thing. It’s a faster path to becoming so good they can’t ignore you. As a genetic counselor by training, I know some things about genomics and reproductive health, but I can also speak the language of accounting, investing, company building, design, sales, and scientific research. I didn’t go to business school or get a PhD; many things can be self-taught with a little effort. I’m still working on becoming fluent in these other languages, but I know enough to be useful and serve as a translator. Business x Genomics x Fertility is like a rare language spoken by so few that when wartime strikes, there are only a few translators around who speak the language. (Thanks Emily for the analogy!)
Your focus becomes your future — Sacrifice short-term prestige for future optionality and delayed gratification. Do what matters most, not what appears urgent or well-liked at the time. When momentum in what you care about picks up, it’s easy to get distracted and pulled in many directions. Always remember your North Star, and don’t let others define that for you (but still consider others’ input and ask for help). Quiet confidence in your life choices is a strength in the age of overabundance and peer comparison.
Treat people like humans, not robots — Relationships drive everything. Building a good reputation is a lifelong commitment. Find ways to accelerate closeness with others. A good starting point is to consistently choose to be kinder than necessary and help people as much as you can. Old-fashioned gestures are not dead. But also, know our stories are not meant for everyone. Vulnerability is only for those who have earned the right to hear my story (you know who you are 💛)

Be soft on person, hard on problem — Treat others with respect, even if you disagree with them. You are much more persuasive focusing on objective facts and your observations over finger-pointing. Instead of saying “you are X,” I try to reframe and say “I see X, which makes me disappointed because Y. What can we do about X to get to Z?” Recognize that being soft on person takes extra vigilance and mental discipline when you feel misunderstood or angry. Pick your battles judiciously. When you feel compelled to speak on a loaded topic, think about it. Then think some more. Words matter.
Be kind and know your worth — I’ll admit growing up I could be a bit of a smartass, which caused some of my teachers heartburn (sorry). I was often too busy trying to be clever that I forgot to be kind. Later in my adult life, I was in situations where I felt out-of-place or incompetent, so I tried to compensate by being agreeable, even if it meant I was underselling myself. I was too busy trying to be likable that I forgot what I was capable of. Striking a balance is an art. You can be kind and humble without losing your edge. You can also outsmart others without being cocky or judgmental.
Taken from my chaotic personal journal

Ask genuine questions, not BS ones — I would rather have someone compliment me on asking them good questions over how well I answer their questions. An engaged conversation is one where you genuinely want to know what you’re asking someone (and they genuinely care to answer). Questions used only to fill time instantly make for stale conversation. Life is too short for that.
Meet the unknown with a prepared mind — I often come across unknown situations, opportunities, people, and ideas. Whether this is a source of stress or joy depends on whether I'm prepared to process them. If you come across a 200-pound tuna but don’t have anything to catch it with, tough luck. A prepared mind is like a tree with deep roots — a strong base to enable quick growth. This doesn't come from the moment we face the unknown, but from all the effort we've put into becoming a T-shaped person.

T-shaped Person Recommendations

I haven’t published on Health & Wealth this year. But anything you do read from me here is certifiably human-generated (with or without AI input/review.) I love chatGPT/Bard and use it daily, but it is no replacement to thinking for yourself. AI writing is lazy writing.

In lieu of listing my top posts, here are some non-obvious books, essays, talks, and movies/TV shows I’d recommend as a specialized generalist. I tried to be selective and keep the list short. Maybe you’ll find something valuable for you here.

Books

Essays

Talks

Movies & TV shows

Good Will Hunting
Gattaca
Princess Mononoke
12 Angry Men
The Good Place
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season! I’m based in the San Francisco Bay Area, so if you are ever around, let me know — I would love to meet up (in person or otherwise) and learn what lights you up these days. A strength of humanity is that we have different experiences and perspectives from one another.

Christina

Health & Wealth