The web world has gone through a shift over the past decade or so, from valuing specialists to rabidly seeking out generalists. 🤨

Our industry is a fascinating one, with trends and expectations shifting at an incredible pace. As someone who's been in this field for a while, I've witnessed the transformation of the industry's preferences from valuing specialists to seeking out versatile generalists.

As a seemingly grumpy old man in this industry I've watched as the favor and respect towards specialists quickly diminished in favor of the elusive, Swiss army knife generalist unicorn that could blow you away with their seemingly vast knowledge of the end to end process of building applications on the web.

👿 This has led to some rampant unreasonable expectations within the job market.

Too many times have I seen job postings that are geared towards Junior or Mid level engineers with a literal laundry list of expectations, languages, philosophies, and standards. What an unwelcoming and unreasonable expectation to put squarely on the shoulders of people trying to get their foot in the door in our industry.

In all my time working with developers at various skill levels, I've found immense value in encouraging junior and mid-level developers to explore and refine their specializations . Fostering their enthusiasm for a particular niche can lead to remarkable results. Nurturing the thing that gets them excited to create, and develop a passion for.

🌟 The value of a passion for learning should not be underestimated.

Instead of chasing individuals who collect frameworks like trophies, we should focus on those with a genuine passion for learning. The ability to adapt and grow in this ever-changing field often trumps the ability to wield a multitude of frameworks.

Let's embrace the evolving landscape of web development and recognize that both specialists and generalists have their place. After all, it's the balance between the two that fuels innovation and drives our industry forward. 💪💻

🌐 What's your take on this shift in the web development world? Are you a specialist, a generalist, or a bit of both?