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Ask HN: Deal with feeling of not knowing anything well enough?

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Ask HN: Deal with feeling of not knowing anything well enough?

#1

Post by utopianmonk »

I've spent 15 years in the tech industry, working with well-known tech companies and engaging in projects that I'm proud of. My main focus has been on creating reliable, widely-used distributed systems. However, I often feel like I lack in-depth knowledge. The challenges I face seem quite similar, like working with building blocks. My approach involves learning what's necessary to solve immediate issues and then moving on. I'm unsure how to reach the expertise level of industry leaders like Brenden Gregg and Jeff Dean.

It might be like having Impostor Syndrome. But I do believe I have some knowledge and can use it effectively, but there’s also a sense that I lack deep understanding.

How can I handle this situation? What steps can I take to achieve even just a small portion of their expertise?

Re: Ask HN: Deal with feeling of not knowing anything well enough?

#2

Post by DamonHD »

Keep at it. I think that it is often the case that the more you do know the more that you realise you are ignorant about. You may still be a world class expert!

So keep your mind open, keep reading, keep learning, keep practising your art.

I've just started a PhD after 30 years of start-ups etc, and I am aware that people's view of my skills is often much more positive than my own view of my skills. And I'm also spending time with other entrepreneurs who seem better than me in every dimension!

Keep humble, but keep going.

Re: Ask HN: Deal with feeling of not knowing anything well enough?

#4

Post by imacoward22 »

I don't know who Brenden Gregg or Jeff Dean are, but a cursory look at their profiles I imagine the thread linking them together is they've set aside time to do deep thinking and research -- rather than the piecemeal approach of implementation whack-a-mole.

So in that vein:

1. Find a very narrow area where you would like to have in-depth knowledge

2. Read the seminal works in that area (could be academic papers, could be blog-posts, could be even code)

3. Go for a long walk, and mull about it for a bit.

4. See if you can add something, no matter how little, to the area

5. ???

6. Rinse repeat

---

Big question is whether that's something you're internally motivated by, or externally. The fruits of that sort of labor are mostly internal; and very few people have the stamina to continually do this, unless it personally fulfills them.

Re: Ask HN: Deal with feeling of not knowing anything well enough?

#5

Post by fasterik »

This isn't me giving advice since you're probably more experienced than me. My perspective and belief, however, is that you gain in-depth knowledge by going down layers of abstraction. Instead of using an RDBMS, write a database from scratch. Instead of making a game in Unity, make it with OpenGL or D3D11. Write a 6502 or 8086 emulator. Write a toy operating system. And so on.

I find that when I do these types of projects, I very quickly figure out where the holes in my knowledge are. That gives me a direction on what to learn next, and the motivation to actually learn it and apply it in practice. It feels much more efficient than just picking up a textbook and trying to learn that way.

Re: Ask HN: Deal with feeling of not knowing anything well enough?

#6

Post by the_only_law »

imacoward22 wrote: post #4

I don't know who Brenden Gregg or Jeff Dean are, but a cursory look at their profiles I imagine the thread linking them together is they've set aside time to do deep thinking and research -- rather than the piecemeal approach of implementation whack-a-mole. So in that vein: 1. Find a very narrow area where you would like to have in-depth knowledge 2. Read the seminal works in that area (could be academic papers, coul…

> Find a very narrow area where you would like to have in-depth knowledge

This is always where I get stuck. I see something, and say “hey this looks interesting” maybe I should invest in this”. But I always worry that I’ll over invest in it at the cost of other more general, but “useful” things.

Re: Ask HN: Deal with feeling of not knowing anything well enough?

#8

Post by DamonHD »

the_only_law wrote: post #6
imacoward22 wrote: post #4

I don't know who Brenden Gregg or Jeff Dean are, but a cursory look at their profiles I imagine the thread linking them together is they've set aside time to do deep thinking and research -- rather than the piecemeal approach of implementation whack-a-mole. So in that vein: 1. Find a very narrow area where you would like to have in-depth knowledge 2. Read the seminal works in that area (could be academic papers, coul…

> Find a very narrow area where you would like to have in-depth knowledge This is always where I get stuck. I see something, and say “hey this looks interesting” maybe I should invest in this”. But I always worry that I’ll over invest in it at the cost of other more general, but “useful” things.

The world has space for specialists and generalists, for good reason. So ideally you have a mix of breadth and some very specific depth.

If we could see the future accurately we wouldn't need careers advice or HN!

Part of this is that you need to take a punt or three, but probably try to ensure they are interesting and enjoyable, since you are more likely to stick at them.

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