3 Steps to Turn Your Skills to Valuable Expertise

The best way to get ahead is to learn to do something valuable that other people can't do - Naval Ravikant.

Your skills developed into expertise are your most valuable asset. 

You use this asset to trade for equity in tech companies.   The more rare and valuable the skillset, the more you can trade for it.

Today, I will break down my 3 step system to turn your skills into expertise. 

By systematically building skills over time, you will become a rare and valuable asset that you can grow a brand and business around.  

It starts with you realizing that you are your most valuable asset. Investing in yourself is the first step in building the life you want. 

In today's fast-paced tech landscape, expertise isn't just a buzzword; it's your currency for success. 

Expertise will unlock the life that you want.  

• Geographic Freedom -  Deeply skilled professionals are flown all over the world for their expertise. 

• Missional Freedom -  Expertise can be leveraged into a thought leader practice that is a lifestyle business for you. 

• Financial Freedom - Expertise can allow you to trade for large amounts of equity in great companies to grow your wealth. 

With valuable skills, you can unlock opportunities and freedoms you would not have otherwise.    

This was my exact experience.  

When I worked in the Salesforce.com practice from 2004 to 2008 at Accenture, my deep skills in emerging technology allowed me to live and work around the country and the world. At this stage in my career, I wanted Geographic freedom, and my rare expertise provided me with the opportunity.    

In Episode 36 of Tech Careers & Money Talk, Bart Fanelli told us how he used his expertise to achieve Missional Freedom.  He built an expertise and now is building a business around it.

Expertise in investing got me to financial freedom through thinking like an investor with my time and talent and then building my 50/50 Portfolio (LINK). 

Many people don’t leverage what they have built. 

For all the work people invest in their tech careers, many struggle with how build expertise with their skills and then leverage it. 

1. Lack of a clear framework to convert their skills to expertise 

2. Don’t understand or believe that they are the asset in the equation.

3. Some build expertise, but don’t know how build a brand or a business around it. 

“ The best way to achieve long-term career success is to focus on developing deep expertise in a particular area.”  - Cal Newport “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯-𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲

Expertise is the key to your freedom, financial and geographic.

If you want to be free, build skills to Expertise.

𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩.

Now, let's dive in.

#𝟭: 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 & 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 - 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆.

Knowing your value allows you to negotiate for what you are worth.

As a hiring manager, I could tell who knew their market position. They would always negotiate for more salary and equity. Sometimes, their details were so thorough that they would help me put together the business case for them.

#𝟮: 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 & 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 - 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 / 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀

Experience and Results are proof your skills have become expertise.

Your skills need to be tested in the forge of business. When you can describe your results delivered, this is what builds expertise that you can build a business around.

#𝟯: 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 & 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 - 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.

You won't reach your goal if you have completed #1 & #2 but not #3.

People build thought leadership businesses around telling their careers and the stories that make them happen.

You have great stories that people want to hear and valuable lessons to share. Learning to write, tell, and develop these is the last piece of this simple framework.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁.

Get into more details about building expertise in this week’s podcast. 👇

Tech Equity & Money Talk is a Weekly Podcast that explores the process of building wealth through Tech Equity and managing the money that comes with it.

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082 🎙️ Building Expertise to Leverage Equity Compensation in Tech

Are you ready to negotiate for more equity? 

🎙️ In this episode, I am breaking down the game-changing difference between skills and results.

Discover why understanding your value isn’t just important—it’s transformative. Plus, learn how to leverage career capital to unlock unprecedented opportunities in tech.

🎧 This episode dives deep with real-world case studies, proven strategies, and actionable steps to help you articulate your worth and bridge the "awareness gap."

This isn’t just another career podcast; it’s a blueprint for thriving in the competitive tech landscape and achieving financial independence.

👉 Tune in now—your future self will thank you! (LINK)

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Disclaimer: This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Always consult with qualified professionals before making any decisions based on the information provided.