Personal success is relative, but most of us seek ways to measure how far we’ve come toward our goals and aspirations.

Both education and work environments often encourage specialization, guiding us to focus deeply on a few related topics. While this approach fosters expertise, it can sometimes prevent us from seeing the bigger picture — dreaming or developing beyond narrow confines.

In my past few years as a startup founder and manager, I’ve had the chance to deeply appreciate vertical knowledge on a specific topic, be it artificial intelligence, design, software development, or even business administration. But after interviewing dozens of candidates for various roles and hiring different people from different professional and cultural backgrounds, I can state my appreciation for those who, regardless of their title as software engineers, product designers, or literally anything else, have been able to conserve their multidisciplinary spirits, enabling others to reason and view the world from a different perspective in any conversation.

We often don’t fully grasp this concept when we’re in school. We study a variety of subjects to gain a broad understanding of the world around us, but eventually, we begin to focus on what we are most passionate about, causing everything else to fade into the background.

Some people begin a job they love and dedicate themselves to it, becoming excellent teachers, psychologists, engineers, nurses, or professionals in other fields they have focused on for a long time. In contrast, others may work eight hours a day at a job they don’t enjoy but still have the opportunity to use their free time for activities they are passionate about.

I’ve had the privilege of experiencing several shades of the professional spectrum. I worked in a factory for a brief period and have also been an employee for several companies. Later, I became an entrepreneur, working with clients as well as independently. I have served as a consultant and worked on product development.

By working with many different people in many different environments, I learned one of the great lessons I learned: no man is an island.

While I appreciate the beautiful concept behind this John Donne quote, which emphasizes human interconnectedness, our reliance on one another, and the importance of community, I cannot help but see how this idea also applies to our psyche.

We often perceive great engineers, musicians, and intellectuals as towering figures who excel solely in their fields, believing that they live exclusively for their studies or work. However, I think this perspective doesn’t fully capture the complexity of their intellect.

Sure, melodies can be of a touching beauty well when they’re solo piano. Take “Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2” as an example:

But the vast majority of compositions, require an entire orchestra:

Just as some music can be profoundly beautiful when played on a single instrument, we must also recognize that our increasingly complex society often demands more than singular expertise to truly excel.

Human beings, in many ways, resemble music. You might be the best pianist in the world, but if you lack the ability to harmonize with an ensemble, your contribution could remain limited. While focusing on mastering a single instrument is perfectly valid, those who take the time to learn and appreciate diverse instruments often gain invaluable perspectives and opportunities. You can maintain your deep passion for the piano while also exploring the joy of contributing to symphonies that include strings, guitars, drums, or other instruments — whether as a performer, composer, or even an appreciative listener.

In the same vein, I’ve always found people with broad and diverse interests to be incredibly fascinating — and often exceptional at their work.

I’ve encountered individuals with degrees in economics who have become masters of product development. I’ve met psychology graduates excelling in design. I’ve seen people with a passion for board games, equitation, music, philosophy, and photography thrive as engineers, designers, product managers, and more.

Of course, this isn’t universally true — some people discover their calling early and pursue it with singular focus, achieving greatness in their chosen field. But for the rest of us — the majority — we often find ourselves playing as part of a small orchestra, drawing on diverse skills and experiences to try to create something extraordinary.

Are you working in a place you love but feel drawn to specialize in something new? Go for it. Do you want to study subjects unrelated to your job? Do it anyway — it will help you in ways you can’t yet foresee. Are you thinking of making a change but worry you’re discarding years of study and experience? Rest assured, you’re not losing anything.

You’re simply evolving your inner orchestra.