we can explore and exploit in parallel: become a jack of all trades, and a master of one. Or we can do it serially: lots of successful careers look like an initial period of exploration, followed by going deep on one thing for several years, then an exploration phase in an adjacent field, and so on. There is still a trade-off between these states,

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Young people today are trained to pursue optionality as an end in itself, which leads to a fear of commitment and a generation of wandering souls. I can't recommend this essay enough. https://t.co/nr5RxfAYYg https://t.co/W4gwrS6r9e

For new graduates, working at a consulting firm creates optionality because of the broad exposures (to industries and companies) and skills these firms purportedly develop. Going to graduate school creates optionality by enabling more opportunities than a narrow professional trajectory can provide. Working at prestigious firms and developing social... See more