For a long time, I struggled with something that many entrepreneurs, creatives, and multi-passionate people can relate to. Imposter syndrome.

It did not show up in the beginning. When I was working alone and building my business from the ground up, I felt confident. I was proud of how much I could do. But that feeling would disappear the moment I found myself in a room with specialists.

Sometimes it was an SEO expert. Other times it was a web developer or someone who had spent years mastering one specific area. As soon as the conversation shifted into their field, I would start to shrink inside. They would mention tools, methods, or frameworks I had never heard of. Even when I had experience doing that same work, I felt like I had no business talking about it with them. I felt like a fraud.

But I wasn’t a fraud. I was just playing a different role. I was a generalist.

Building From Scratch

My tech and business journey started shortly before I finished university. That was when I launched my first business, an online printing and branding company. I did not have a team, I did not have industry experience, and I did not have a huge budget. What I had was the willingness to figure things out.

To get the business off the ground, I had to become my own designer, web developer, marketer, and operations manager. I learned how to build a website so people could find us online. I figured out how to source materials from the markets and coordinate with tailors or printers to fulfill branding orders.

I taught myself the basics of business management. I tracked income and expenses. I learned how to calculate profit margins and set fair prices. I also learned how to write better marketing copy and how to use search engine optimisation to increase visibility. With the help of resources from people like Neil Patel, I even managed to rank my website on the first page of Google in Nigeria for branded items.

At no point was I trying to become an expert in web development or SEO. I just needed to know enough to get results. I focused on learning whatever was necessary to grow the business.

Looking back, I see that this is how most entrepreneurs start. We take on every role, not because we want to, but because we have to. We teach ourselves just enough to get by and move forward.

The Generalist Struggle

Even though I was making progress, I began to notice a change in how I talked about my work. The more I interacted with people who had specialised knowledge, the less I wanted to explain what I actually did. I started to downplay my role. If someone asked me what I did, I would say things like “I’m in business” or “I do tech” without going into detail.

Why? Because I was afraid of being challenged.

If someone was a professional SEO consultant and I mentioned that I had worked on my own site, they might ask technical questions I could not answer. If someone was a web developer and I said I built my site, they might start talking about code or systems that I had never touched. I feared being exposed as someone who did not truly belong in those spaces.

So I started hiding behind vague titles. I stopped explaining my actual contributions. And slowly, I began to question my value. Even though I had built a profitable business, I began to feel like I was not good enough to speak confidently about any specific skill.

The Pressure to Pick One Thing

Eventually, I felt the pressure to choose one path. I kept hearing the same advice: focus on one thing and master it. People were saying that personal branding works best when your name is connected to a specific area.

That made sense to me. When you think of Starbucks, you think of coffee. When you think of McDonald’s, you think of burgers. These companies may offer other products, but they lead with one thing. That one thing becomes their identity.

I started to think about the people around me. In different industries, I noticed that some people were the first names that came up when a need or opportunity was mentioned. If someone needed help with a real estate opportunity, there were names that always came up first. If someone was talking about custom shoes or looking for a software engineer, there were names that came up first too.

These people were not necessarily more talented than others, but they had built strong associations around a single area. That made them easy to remember. I admired that clarity. I wanted to be one of those people too. I wanted to be the person people thought of first when they needed something specific.

But choosing what to focus on was harder than it looked. After doing so many things over the years, it was difficult to narrow everything down to one clear direction.

The Book That Changed Everything

At some point during this journey, I came across a book called Range by David Epstein. The full title is Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialised World.

That book changed everything for me.

It explained how many of the world’s top performers started by doing a wide range of things before choosing what to focus on. The author gave examples from sports, science, and business. For instance, Roger Federer played several sports including wrestling and basketball before eventually committing to tennis. There were even stories from corporate settings where people who had explored multiple roles became stronger leaders in the long run.

Reading that book helped me understand that being a generalist is not a weakness. It is often the foundation for long-term success. I was not behind. I was building range. And that range would one day become my greatest asset.

Why Generalists Are Built for the AI Era

Today, with artificial intelligence transforming the way we live and work, I am more confident than ever that being a generalist has prepared me for this moment.

In the past, specialists were rewarded because they had exclusive access to certain knowledge. But now, that information is available to everyone. You can ask an AI tool almost anything and get a solid answer. You can learn advanced skills online in just a few days.

But information is not the same as wisdom. And execution is not the same as strategy.

Now that AI and automation are replacing many of the repetitive tasks once assigned to specialists, there is a growing need for people who understand how all the pieces fit together. Someone still needs to see the big picture. Someone needs to coordinate between departments, ask the right questions, and guide the overall direction.

That person is often a generalist.

Today, when I am in meetings, I can follow conversations about system architecture, user experience, software development, and marketing strategy. I may not be the one building the system or writing the code, but I understand how things work. That allows me to make strategic decisions and ask better questions. I have the ability to connect ideas across different disciplines, and that is what drives innovation.

Curiosity Creates Opportunity

In this new world, I believe everyone should take time to understand how the things around them actually work. You do not need to be a programmer to understand the basics of the internet. You do not need to be an engineer to know how your phone captures video or how your computer communicates with others.

Understanding how things work gives you an advantage. It helps you see solutions where others see problems. It helps you lead projects, connect people, and make better decisions. With tools like AI now within reach, all you need is curiosity and the willingness to ask questions.

Why It All Makes Sense Now

What started as a survival strategy, learning just enough to keep my business moving forward, has become the foundation for how I think, build, and lead today.

Being a generalist does not mean you are lacking depth. It means you have built perspective. You are able to see patterns, understand systems, and make strategic decisions with clarity.

If you have ever felt like you know a little about many things, do not see that as a flaw. It is a strength that will only become more valuable with time. In a world where information is everywhere and tools are constantly evolving, the ability to connect ideas is just as important as mastering a single one.

Your range is not a weakness. It is the reason you will be able to adapt, lead, and create meaningful solutions in any environment you step into.