I’m a generalist. And a programmer. And I’m also a generalist programmer. (Got that?)

In other words most of my work time is spent doing all sorts of intangible stuff, but a chunk of my code time is spent programming, and to go further a chunk of that time is specifically with web technologies… but I’ve also coded iPhone apps, interactive installations and robots. I’m also a collaborator, a designer (though not of the visual ilk), a project manager, a cheerleader, a teacher and inventor. Whew!

It probably goes without saying sometimes I struggle to articulate exactly what I do for a living.

In fact, I’ve come to realize that “field of expertise” is often more art than science, and that the goal of bringing on perfectly specialized people is often the wrong one. I believe everyone is equally creative and everything ever made is inherently creative. That’s doubly true for the world of software, technology and the web. I further believe that the creative process is the most essential thing to get right. Products with strong narrative, experience, UX and visual design are more compelling to use, talk about, share and return to, and making such products requires the right kind of people working together as creative equals. I built my company on this idea.

I feel more confident in my work collaborating with other people who elevate me to do my best. The irony is that those collaborators often feel the same way I do out on their own: Confident they’re valuable but unclear on exactly where, how and why they’re great. And we’re not the only ones out there. It’s easy to lose faith in oneself if you aren’t “good enough” at a particular trade… but maybe that’s not way we should be playing the game.

I thought I’d use my year on the Pastry Box project to talk about this.

There’s plenty out there written about core competencies. It’s time to celebrate the stuff that really matters.