# Being a jack of all trades is an asset ![[A jack of all trades]] Playwright Steve Tomlinson says, if you have different passions, "Let them talk to each other. Something will begin to happen."[^1] Embrace what Anne-Laure Le Cunff calls the inverted pyramid of life: being full of potential, exploring affinities, and opening up to a world of opportunities.[^4] Portfolio thinking takes advantage of opportunistic addition: the concept that an activity only adds value when done in moderation. E.g. a writer and public speaker does both gigs in moderation so that they may feed into and inform the other. A portfolio that is a network has network effects: each offering increases the value of the others.[^2] Successful people often have various interests. They are more likely to go through a "sampling period" when they're younger, trying out different activities. This gives them many different proficiencies and helps them explore their own abilities and likes.[^3] People who can identify themselves across various domains and facets have a "self-complexity" that helps them build emotional resilience too, should they experience stressors in one part of their life.[^4] So [[Explore all your varied interests]]. [^1]: [[Steal Like an Artist]] pg. 71 [^2]: [The Rise of the Full-Stack Freelancer](https://fortelabs.co/blog/the-rise-of-the-full-stack-freelancer/?utm_source=pocket_mylist) [^3]: [Why “Working Hard” Is A Scam - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfm4KkZB5BU) [^4]: [Stop looking for The One: The Inverted Pyramid of Life - Ness Labs](https://nesslabs.com/inverted-pyramid-life-2)