I know that I'm almost an expert in something when, given a task, I only see the annoying small details.
So, I'm curious about how you know you became or are an expert in something.
Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
1–10 of 37 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#2When my karma got to 10, I knew I was an HN expert.
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#3Four stages of competence[1]:
* Unconscious Incompetence: The individual neither understands nor knows how to do something, nor recognizes the deficit, nor has a desire to address it.
* Conscious Incompetence: Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, he or she does recognize the deficit, without yet addressing it.
* Conscious Competence: The individual understands or knows how to do something. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires a great deal of consciousness or concentration.
* Unconscious Competence: The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it becomes "second nature" and can be performed easily (often without concentrating too deeply). He or she may or may not be able teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned.
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#4I think being able to disagree with a point most other experts in the field agree upon, with reason, while being able to explain the more common POV, is sufficient but not necessary evidence of expertise.
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#5An expert is someone who is sought out by others for their skill and paid well for it.
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#6I'm not an expert at anything but I do follow my University's motto 'Ancora Imparo' (I'm learning). I personally think it's difficult for you to know when you're an expert at anything but other people will start labeling you as an expert. They'll ask for your opinions, help, etc and wouldn't mind paying for it. Just do whatever interests you. Share what you've learned. But always know you're just a student of the field, let other worry about how they perceive you.
How did PG become an expert at starting up? He did it himself. He wrote essays about it to share what he learnt. I'm sure he was never trying to be an expert. Even in his essays now, he never makes "expert claims". It's the people who found the advice helpful that labelled him so.
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#7You know you are an expert when you start saying "it depends" to questions you are asked.
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#8When people in your field cannot answer your questions, but you can.
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#9"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." -- Confucius
Re: Ask HN: How do you know when you are an expert?
#10Ah, I think it would be a mistake for anyone to assume they are an expert unless they are in a field that has nothing left to be discovered (rare!). If you are in tech, then I think "Ancora Imparo" (I'm learning) - as referenced in an earlier comment - is the way to go. If you have anything to do with startups, then I think you should be ready for your knowledge and expertise to be disrupted everyday.