Dear friend, if you are still not convinced by my previous post about the importance of being a generalist and diversifying your skillset, let me tell you another story -- A story about the legendary inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Edison, and his first patented invention.
At the age of 22, Edison invented a voting device that automated ballot counting through electrically and chemical mechanisms (recall modern computers did not yet exist in that era). This brilliant device not only significantly reduced the error margin resulting from manual counting, but was able to shorten the prolonged voting process by hours or even days. Think about how much cost it would cut for the government!
However, things took a 180-degree turn, when the device was taken to Washington DC to meet its buyers -- the high-powered politicians. To Edison's astonishment, the politicians were abhorred by this invention, as its adoption would lead to a significant decrease in the time for conducting their political moves such as filibusters and lobbying. Clearly, when it comes to voting, faster is simply not better by their standards. But this was a new revelation to young Edison.
As a result, the device was a technical masterpiece, but sold exactly 0 units in the market. Imagine how heart-broken Edison must have been. But the lesson paid off in the longer run.
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