Rejecting Specialization

More than just trust however, ambiguous work requires a specific kind of energy. Consulting is about changing clients. You’re often an outsider, brought in to catalyze some kind of change that the client has been unable to change on their own.

The problem is that good specialization is exceptionally hard. And mediocre specialization has two core problems:

1. It attracts less senior, more tightly defined work that traps you in a mode of repeatable execution work


2. It puts you in a well defined box that grinds against your identity

Building vibes is a different kind of work from specializing. You’re not just demonstrating expertise and competence but compatibility.

The problem with a carefully crafted positioning is that it typically makes the wrong part efficient - it makes it easier for clients to hire you for well defined work. It allows greater legibility, trust and expertise around work which is well defined.

You can separate most work into two buckets: well-defined and ambiguous .

• Well defined work is the kind of recognizable work where the client has clarity around both the problem and solution.


• Ambiguous work on the other hand is where either the problem or solution are not fully formed. 

How strong opinions create the kind of trust and visibility required for senior, ambiguous work.

(S)pecialization doesn’t lend itself well to novelty and surprise.

In short, vibe is how you find a good client/consultant fit.

This kind of taste is hard to signal with a positioning statement. To develop this trust in someone without actively working with them before requires a strong understanding of the person’s point of view and vibe, which is why sharing your point of view in depth matters.