Chapter 2 · Practice 2 of 4
Go narrow at first, then widen once you are known for something
From Choose a focus
Why it matters
A narrow focus feels risky, but it is how people get remembered. "React developer" competes with a huge crowd; "React developer who writes about accessibility in forms" stands out in a smaller room where you can actually be heard.
A useful shape is one deep area plus a broad base:
- Deep: one stack, domain or problem you go deeper on than most peers.
- Broad: the general skills any developer in your role needs.
Once people associate you with the deep area, widening is easy. "The person who explained form accessibility well" can later write about design systems or frontend testing, and the audience follows.
Do
- Pick one area to go deeper on for the next year
- Keep a broad base of general skills for your role
Avoid
- Posting about every trending technology to seem current