Category of 1

Note 013: Beyond Competition

Happy Monday!

I have great news for you.

You can breathe easy.

Throw that market analysis in the bin!

Here we go:

“You have no competitors”.

Talent stack

How can it be that you have no competitors?

Aren't I one of the bottom xxx out of yyy category of Architects in zzz geographical location…?

Don’t I need to work for aaa years, win bbb awards to push into the top in… ( I am running out of alphabet here…)

Probably… and congratulations on your killer mindset!

But thankfully for your mental health, I believe none of this even matters, with the right amount of introspection.

Enter Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame)’s idea of the talent stack.

Stack analysis

I was fascinated the first time I heard him speak of this concept.

He plainly states, that:

• He was never an excellent cartoonist – but he was pretty good.

• He was never an excellent comedian – but he was kind of funny.

• He had no talents for business - but had a very strong work ethic

He could get down on himself in any one of these categories, particularly if one (ie artistry) was a ‘calling’….

But by persistently working every day, combining his ‘pretty good’ drawing and his ‘pretty good’ comedic skills, Dilbert was created - a unique product of a unique stacking of talents.

Scott’s Net Worth from the unique combination of his slightly above average skills is currently $75 Million in 2021 !

My talent stack

I love architecture, love designing, love drawing, love seeing vision become reality on site, love organising crews, etc. etc.

Architecture is certainly my calling, and my thing.

OK, bad example, I think I am actually pretty across this wonderful art :)

BUT I am not so much of an expert in other areas.

• I dealt with a fair amount of anxiety pushing into what I considered an elitist field from a fairly humble teenage background, regional coastal NSW…

• I felt imposter syndrome even more extensively when I started teaching at University, I didn't have a masters degree, and my current creative practice based PhD is taking forever…

• I have been frustrated for a few years wanting to ramp up my university teaching, but am constantly knocked back without a PhD as the red tape tightens (even as students keep requesting more practitioners)…

Then I had a finally had a bit of an epiphany.

1. I am no PhD – but I do love to teach and mentor

2. I moved my family out of the city – but am now embedded in a thriving coastal regional community, smaller, but where leadership is even more important

3. I may not be teaching on physical campus much at the moment - but there is a huge need for connection and mentorship thorough the extended 2020-2021 COVID lockdowns

4. My original calling – my architecture - remains a strength that I work hard at every day

And there it is.

My unique, but not incredible, ‘talent stack’ behind Andrews’ Notes.

This may not be a university – but who cares! – This is a caring, teaching, mentoring environment, led by someone who loves to teach, led by an active, award winning architect that practices what he preaches every single day, and I won’t let my lack of PhD stop me.

And you should not let whatever perceived excuse you are telling yourself stop you form pursuing your dream.

Your talent stack

You are already a driven, talented, hard working architecture student or graduate – or you wouldn’t be reading!

My top tip for discovering your own niche is this:

• What are you passionate of outside of architecture?

• What are you passionate about as well as architecture?

You might be a musician.

Cook.

People person.

Motivator.

Writer.

Surfer.

Parent.

Carer.

Ill.

Carpenter.

Web Designer.

Car lover.

Cyclist.

Outsider.

Insider.

Vegan.

Carnivore.

Comedian.

Chatterbox.

Young.

Old.

Second career.

Third career.

Camper.

Teacher.

Introvert.

Extrovert.

Aggressive.

Kind.

Humble.

The beauty of this is that the right answer is YOU.

We are all weird, and with the ultra-connected world we live in now, with an abundance of creative architects, this means only one thing in 2021:

To stand out – be yourself.

Couple that with the courage it takes to start, and the hard work and persistence that it takes to persist with launching your own creative practice, and you’ll notice that infinite ‘pool’ of talented competitors in your head… just got smaller. Very small.

Your homework for this week.

What makes up your talent stack?

Let me know!

Till next time,

Andrew Donaldson

Note 013 done and dusted! Please give me any feedback whatsoever, I would love to hear from you - after all, this is for you :)

PS - if you have a friend, colleague, or archi-buddy that you think would benefit from Andrew’s Notes, please feel free to send this to them or share with the button below: - lets grow this tribe :)