4-minute read. Bold thoughts. No fluff.

While everyone else is busy arguing over who owns which corner of the sandbox, the Jack of All Trades already built the damn castle. And yet, somehow, multi-talented people with connecting skills are still overlooked in favor of specialists.

Everyone loves to quote the first part: “Jack of all trades.” But most forget the rest: “Master of none.” It’s often dropped as a polite insult – a subtle way of questioning your focus, your seriousness, or your value.

What’s funnier? That’s not even the full saying. The original version actually goes:
“Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one.”

At some point, the ending got chopped off along with the respect for people who don’t fit into neat, specialized boxes. What began as praise for adaptability turned into a warning label. A red flag on a résumé. A professional way of saying, you’re not great at anything, are you?

As Medium pointed out, if you’re someone who thrives on variety – constantly learning, exploring new interests, and collecting skills that don’t always fit together – you’ve probably been branded with that title, whether you wanted it or not.

Ironically, my blog is a proudly sarcastic nod to the phrase. Jackinna of All Trades is exactly what it sounds like: a generalist’s take on everything – and I’m not apologizing for that. In fact, I couldn’t resist writing about it. And yes, I’m looking forward to the fierce debate it sparks.

Good intention, Bad reputation

The phrase “jack of all trades” dates back to the 17th century. And no, it wasn’t meant to be a dig. It was a compliment—used to describe capable, resourceful, multi-skilled individuals who could thrive in more than one role. The “master of none” part was added on later, and with it, the whole tone shifted. What once praised adaptability started to suggest shallowness. Ironically, when quoted in full, the phrase still honor generalists. But no one uses the full version – probably because it says that a person with range might actually be better than a hyper-specialized expert. And we can’t have that, can we?

So now, a sentence that was designed to celebrate learning, flexibility, and cross-skill competence is used to call those same traits into question. But the truth hasn’t changed – just society’s ability to recognize it.

The World Is Built for Specialists (And That’s a Problem, Sometimes)

We live in a world that idolizes specialists. From school to the workplace, we’re encouraged to pick a lane, work hard, and dig deep into one defined area of expertise. And there’s a reason for that. Specialists are essential. They solve problems others can’t. They dive deep, refine the details, and push boundaries in their fields. They’re the ones you want performing surgery, engineering spacecraft, or building your city’s infrastructure.

Your job title? Better to be hyper-specific. Otherwise, how will anyone know you’re important?

But when everyone is expected to specialize – when success is only measured by how narrow and deep your skillset is – we lose something important: adaptability. Connection. Big-picture thinking.

The challenge isn’t specialization itself – it’s what happens when everyone works in silos. The more narrowly we define roles, the harder it becomes to communicate across them. We start rewarding titles over outcomes and forget that innovation often comes not just from deep expertise, but from the ability to connect, translate, and collaborate across domains.

Versatility isn’t extra – it’s essential

Let’s get one thing straight: being a jack of all trades doesn’t mean you don’t have a focus or aim in what you do. It means you link things most people don’t even see. And that? That’s a superpower in a chaotic, fast-moving world. When the rules keep shifting, generalists don’t panic – they evolve and remix. They rewire. They create something new. While everyone else is arguing over task ownership, the jack of all trades already solved it and moved on. These are the people who bridge silos, spark collaboration, and bring unexpected ideas to the table. They design-speak, dev-speak, people-speak, and business-speak. They can walk into a room full of specialists and make things move.

• In startups, they wear six hats and make it look effortless.
• In corporations, they’re the glue that holds cross-functional teams together.
• And in life? They’re the ones fixing your Wi-Fi, planning your trip, helping with your CV, giving cooking tips, carrying your furniture, and maybe even DJing your moving party playlist.

So yes – the world needs specialists, especially subject and domain-related ones but it also desperately needs the jacks. And frankly, a few more Jackinnas wouldn’t hurt either.