The V-Shaped Model for VCs and Full Stack Business Builders – #50

Specialization is dead.

If I were to go farther, specialization is dead across the entire spectrum of work for white-collar workers. While I can wax poetic on how AI is changing this game, it’s merely a tool in the toolbox for Full Stack Business Builders and capital deployers who use #VentureMedia to grow their investments.

The Specialist

The specialist is a SME in a particular domain. Whenever I hear the world “specialization” I can hear the voice of one of my graduate professors ringing in my ear: “Getting a PhD ensures you know more about one thing than anyone else, and nobody will care.” While this was clearly a tongue-in-cheek type of statement, it reveals the usefulness (or uselessness) of most specialization. Especially in the knowledge-work world. 

Need a specialist? Hire a coach or consultant.

The T-Shaped Worker

What emerged over the last decades was this idea of a T-shaped employee. Someone who has a broad understanding across a range of disciplines with one particular area of SME. I’ve often found that VPs, Directors, and your occasional c-level executive fit here. 

A T-shaped knowledge-base makes for a good leader (within) a domain or discipline. These types of individuals can thrive within a well-defined working environment, a mature culture, and stable industries. 

The V-Model of Full Stack Business Builders

I am coming across more and more of these types of individuals. They impress me greatly and sometimes make me feel not only old, but outdated! These individuals combine a subject matter expertise and deep experiential knowledge of many different disciplines. Their ability to fully integrate tools, technology, methods, practices, and models make them the Swiss Army knife of operators. Their innate problem-solving drive causes them to be resourceful and rarely stuck in the mud. They know that the solution to all of their problems is: Do the work. We’ll work ourselves out of the unknown. 

V-shaped business builders are imminently useful and will never be in a position where they cannot provide or create value. All of the most successful entrepreneurs I’ve met are V-shaped. While they do have core areas of expertise, their super-power is the ability to integrate all of their knowledge and connect-the-dots in any problem solving endeavor or creative work. Only the V-shaped business builder or V-shaped VC lasts in the long run. 

It’s not even about balance. It’s being augmented by the power of technology in today’s world. 

The Full Stack Business Builder Conference aims to support these V-shaped builders and VC’s even better. The specialist has its place. The T-shaped contributor has its place. The innovative companies of the future are being built by the V-model of full stack business building. 

• We have the tools. 
• We have the technology.
• We have the networks and accessibility.
• We have unlimited knowledge bases.
• We have unlimited resources. 
• Now is the time. 

I want to help create MORE V-shaped humans.

All the best,
ps