Raise a Roger, not a Tiger

In David Epstein’s book Range, he starkly contrasts the athletic upbringings of Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. 

We all know the story of little toddler Tiger, swinging his golf club on national TV under the watchful eye of good ol’ dad, Earl Woods. 

Earl was committed to Tiger’s success in golf, so his parenting method was hyper-focused on raising a master of the craft.

And it worked. 

He’s even written two books about it. 🤷

Roger, on the other hand? 

He dabbled in basketball, wrestling, skiing, and even skateboarding before seriously picking up a tennis racket. If anything, his parents discouraged him from getting too serious about a single sport.

While there’s merit to both specialism and generalism in terms of mastery, one flies head-and-shoulders above the other when it comes to entrepreneurship.

I’ll letcha guess which one. 🤷

Making creative connections

A few weeks ago, we explored how creativity is all about finding a connection between two unexpected things. 

The more unexpected the connection, the more creative the outcome.

While deep and relentless focus on one area can certainly help your kid become a master in that craft, visualizing outcomes beyond the “rules” of that craft is a challenge— 

—which can really stifle an entrepreneurial mindset.

Meanwhile, the very nature of generalism is exposure to many areas and practices, which bolsters creativity — a critical aspect in entrepreneurship.

Solving complex problems

Did you know that Nobel laureates are three times more likely than their peers to engage in artistic hobbies?

And here’s a crazy stat — they’re 22 times more likely than the average scientist to “perform, sing, or act” in their spare time. 🎭

(I discussed the value of performing arts for budding entrepreneurs last week.)

This cross-disciplinary interest creates a form of cognitive diversity that enhances their ability to solve complex scientific problems.

The same concept applies to entrepreneurship.

So anytime you think your kid doesn’t have time for artistic hobbies because they should be focused on academics — think again.

Adapting on the fly

Picture this—

Every day for a year, your kid learns to code in Python, becoming highly skilled at scripting algorithms and data analysis specific to Python.

Another kid spends the year learning the basics of multiple programming languages and technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python.

Now they want to get hired for their skills, and need to create a portfolio website.

Your kid struggles. 

Why?

Because Python is not typically used for web development.

The generalized tech kid excels, using their varied programming skills to quickly put together an interactive and visually appealing website.

Your kid can kick the other kid’s butt in Python, but couldn’t adapt her specialized skill in a way that would make it actually pay off for her.

The generalist wins.

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If you're looking to prepare your kid for the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship, let them explore, experiment, and engage with the world in multiple ways. 

The future belongs to those who can range widely—and wisely.