How to be valuable in the increasingly distracted world
As intelligent machines advance, it is increasingly important for us to be more valuable to the economy. However, only some can do it. Here's how.
As intelligent machines advance, there is no doubt that organisations hire more machines than humans. You hear all the buzz about Gen AI, OpenAI’s 5 Levels of ‘Super AI’, or the improvements of robots like Figure 02 or NEO Beta by 1X.
All these headlines made you think to yourself…are my skills and talents even required in the modern world? Are they even valuable skills?
A clear and simple answer is: it depends.
A few days ago, a person on Reddit asked me questions about starting a career in web design. Here’s our long exchange:
Her: I’m moving out of state with my partner which gives me a golden opportunity to start a new career from scratch and I think I’ve settled on web design. I’ve done some basic HTML and CSS in the past (high school… so like 10+ years ago) and want to self-teach using online courses — is it a big hindrance to not have formal education in this field?
My other question is whether or not it’d be feasible to be 100% freelance as a self-taught designer?
Me: That’s a bold move, where are you heading to? I think web design is definitely a good profession. And nope, you don’t have to have a formal education in this field. You can 100% freelance as a self-taught designer. Guess what? I taught myself how to design, branding, and marketing.
Took up courses, watched lots of YouTube videos and talked to people (potential customers and experts). However, one thing I must say is, you can’t just solely on web design. You need to be good at other broad fields like branding, marketing, copywriting and usage of AI.
Ideally you want to become irreplaceable in what you do. Doesn’t have to be to change the world, but at least within your circle, you’re known as the designer.
Her: Heading to Arizona from Washington state! Very excited for some sun and heat...I’m curious what you do for clients in terms of branding and marketing. I definitely do want to offer multiple services since my current goal is to own my own business; I was considering doing graphic design as well since I’ve got a bit of experience in photoshop.
Me: Regarding branding and marketing, it’s part of the package for brand identity design. So I develop brand design systems, logos, collaterals, etc plus website landing pages. It’s better to specialise in something, i.e. be known for something. Then you should also have general knowledge on marketing and branding.
Be a generalised specialist.
“Be a generalised specialist,” an advice I give most people who asked me about their career.
Take the topic of web design as an example. With the advancement of intelligent machines like GenAI tools and more, what makes you irreplaceable?
Nothing (unless you’re the s-tier in web design and you know the ins and outs of web design, UX, UI, etc).
Dan Koe said in his recent newsletter:
"Being a specialist made sense in the Industrial Age but not in the Information Age.
When a bodybuilder gets injured, they either get bored and stop making progress or start from scratch.
When you get countered in a video game, or someone is already playing your role, you are at a massive disadvantage.
When your work consists of the same thing over and over again, not only are you a prime candidate for replacement, but life loses its zest because there is no challenge or novel goal that brings meaning to life… your time shrivels up because all you can focus on is working all day, being tired all night, paying the bills, hoping your family doesn’t leave you, and the rest.”
There will come a day when you’re completely bored of web design. Someone else will take over you and you’ll be at a disadvantage.
He continued by adding:
“On the other hand, generalists are diverse and interesting.”
When we’re talking about specialists vs generalists, we’re discussing replaceability and irreplaceability.
When you’re a generalist, you’re technically irreplaceability. But that is not to say you’re half-soaked in everything and do not have depth in a skill.
That’s why I call it “generalised specialist”—to make things clearer.
I’m talking about being somewhat like a “T-shaped professional,” where you’re so good at something (web design) and have a broad practical understanding of other relevant topics (philosophy, human psychology, branding, marketing, ads, etc.)
Now understanding this doesn’t immediately make you one. So let’s get into the more practical stuff.
How to be valuable in the increasingly distracted world
I recently picked up a new book called Deep Work by Cal Newport.
I picked up some ideas which I’m going to share here and combine with the idea of “generalised specialist.”
“Spend enough time in a state of frenetic shallowness and you permanently reduce your capacity to perform deep work.” – Cal Newport
As mentioned earlier, being a generalist specialist, you not only have a deep understanding of a particular field, but you also have a broad understanding of other topics.
To be one, you need focus and concentration.
You can’t be scrolling 24/7 on social media, identify current trends, and call yourself a social media specialist. That, in itself, is not sustainable.
In the new economy, three groups in particular will have outsized advantage:
those who can work well and creatively with intelligent machines
those who are best at what they do
those with access to capital
When you’re starting out, you probably don’t have access to capital, so let’s scrap that for now.
First point is about having the technical know-how to work with current machinery that most people don’t know how to use or leverage.
Second point is about being the best at what you do, but not necessarily the best in the world, as I mentioned earlier.
As we move towards a world where more tools are democratised and easier to pick up, it makes sense that a generalised specialist would thrive.
Have you seen people who seemed to always become more valuable as time goes by? How do they do that?
You must have these two core abilities
These two core abilities are nothing new.
The first: The ability to master hard things fast
The second: The ability to produce at an elite level, in both quality and speed
1. The ability to master hard things fast
In a world that's constantly evolving, your capacity to learn quickly is like a superpower. The ability to master hard things fast means being able to dive deep into new skills or concepts, process them efficiently, and come out on the other side with mastery.
Whether it's coding a new language, or an advanced marketing strategy, those who can quickly learn complex topics will have a distinct advantage over those who can't.
Think of a software developer who needs to learn a new programming language. Instead of dabbling here and there, they block out chunks of undistracted time each day.
Within a few weeks, they've gone from knowing nothing about the language to being competent enough to start using it in projects. That's the power of mastering hard things fast—your ability to learn becomes a weapon.
2. The ability to produce at an elite level, in both quality and speed
The second ability Newport emphasises is being able to produce top-notch work quickly. It's not enough to just be good at something—you have to be able to execute with speed.
This means you need to get into a rhythm where you can consistently churn out high-quality results.
We often hear people say, "Quality over quantity," but Newport argues that the real magic happens when you combine both. Producing at an elite level means you’re not just doing work that meets the standard; you’re doing work that sets the standard. And you're doing it faster than everyone else.
Consider a writer who needs to create compelling content for multiple clients. If they can only write one great article a week, they're limiting themselves. But if they can train themselves to write a great article every day, they’re suddenly much more valuable.
Think of Stephen King, who famously writes 2,000 words a day, every day. His output is massive, but so is the quality of his work. That’s the sweet spot. If he can do it, you too, can.
Why these abilities matter more than ever
The digital age is drowning us in distractions. Every ping, notification, and tweet is designed to pull our attention away from meaningful work. The ability to focus deeply on mastering new skills and producing excellent work at speed is like a competitive advantage.
Alex Hormozi said:
“It’s never been easier to win than it is now.
And people aren’t winning because there’s never been more weak people than there is right now.”
Most people are stuck in a cycle of shallow work—constantly switching tasks, checking emails, and reacting to the noise around them. But if you can break free from that and focus on these two core abilities, you're setting yourself up for success in a world where deep work is becoming increasingly rare and valuable.
Two core abilities and generalised specialist
If you can master hard things fast, you’re able to continually add new tools to your toolkit. You can pick up new skills or knowledge areas as needed—whether it's learning a new software, understanding a new market, or even shifting to an entirely different field. Your ability to learn quickly makes you incredibly flexible.
On the other hand, your ability to produce at an elite level ensures that you're not just dabbling in these areas. You're delivering real, tangible value that makes you stand out. You're not just another employee who knows a bit about many things—you're the one who can deliver results, regardless of the challenge.
These two core abilities combined with you being a generalised specialist makes you indispensable.
Have the adaptability and ability to bridge gaps and you’ll become highly valuable in any pursuits. You’re the code to a software. You’re the strategy to a brand. You’re the tortilla to a Subway sandwich.
If this newsletter resonates with you, here are three more ways I can help:
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I’ll end this letter right here.
Stay awesome, my friend.
See you next week,
Alvis