Thoughts on Specialized Skill to learn.

[Guest-5ty5s4]

I used to be a machinist. They were dying to keep me in the shop. I'm sure I could've gotten significant equity in the business if I'd agreed to commit 100%.

Most of the machinists in the U.S. are retiring. It's a trade that requires real skill, so manufacturing companies will fight to get you. As an employee, it's not Fastlane, but you can earn a decent salary and you can get on the job training for a real skill.

We bought out another shop that was just one guy with a CNC lathe and a Bridgeport and a bunch of good clients. He had built a valuable business based on his skill as a machinist. So I think manufacturing can definitely be Fastlane if you have the ability and can figure out start up costs. The owners of the shop I worked in were not poor.

I have a (sort of) similar background and I’m wondering what the Time and Scale breakthroughs would look like for those guys. I suppose since it’s a Human Resource system, it means hiring more managers and skilled operators, and paying them more.

Yes, it proves even “old fashioned” skills are still skills when they fill current needs.

And machining is still very much a need. Critically so, since so few people are learning trades.

 

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[Tom H.]

I have a (sort of) similar background and I’m wondering what the Time and Scale breakthroughs would look like for those guys. I suppose since it’s a Human Resource system, it means hiring more managers and skilled operators, and paying them more.

Yes, it proves even “old fashioned” skills are still skills when they fill current needs.

And machining is still very much a need. Critically so, since so few people are learning trades.

The problem is that SE Asia dominates time and scale in manufacturing. In North America the value is in Entry, e.g. doing super high-end 5-axis milling of curved surfaces with mirror finishes for prosthetic joints.

The shop I was in made parts for super-conductor and aerospace industries, and we worked with difficult materials. I worked mostly with tantalum, which is difficult because it's kind of tough and gooey (I'm not a metallurgist, but that's what it feel like, it eats up tools) and we also worked with plastics that were tough to machine because they would burn, deform, etc. So the jobs were small, but individual finished parts were very expensive.

 

[Andy Black]

This just popped up in my alerts. Seems relevant to this thread:

Most beginners neglect skills they already have, sacrifice time they could spend out in the fields to learn just one more thing.

Most of the ones starting out have a job that already brings in money.

Why not use that?

Repackage skills you already have. Skills that come naturally to you, that you enjoy.

You might not see certain things at first, so talk to your friends and family - they might tell you something you haven't thought about.

There is not only a product/market fit, but also a product/founder fit. Your offer needs to fit your personality too.

If you cannot launch within 7 days and get your first sale, your offer is too complex.

Might be worth listening to that radio interview:

• (Radio Interview) Freedom, Motivation, & Grow What You Know

 

[Black_Dragon43]

Just browse this forum and see how common the advice is to “never deal with client who see the cost but not the value” then proceeds to ask where to get a free software for a certain function and how to hire the cheapest online assistance from Philippines.

A good marxist would say that this is exploitation

But I digress. I think the reason why I am able to charge 10x and then get other people to execute is because, through my reputation, I can guarantee a solid execution. I often work with people who are a lot smarter than I am in their particular area of expertise, but they cannot ensure deliver at the same quality, not becuase they lack the skills, but rather because they don't push themselves hard enough. Some are lazy, some are disorganized, some are not self-motivated, some are uni-dimensional (skilled at just one specific thing), and the list can go on.

Certainty is very valuable in business, and people would often pay 10, 100, even 1000 times for greater certainty in outcome.

 

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[Kevin88660]

A good marxist would say that this is exploitation

But I digress. I think the reason why I am able to charge 10x and then get other people to execute is because, through my reputation, I can guarantee a solid execution. I often work with people who are a lot smarter than I am in their particular area of expertise, but they cannot ensure deliver at the same quality, not becuase they lack the skills, but rather because they don't push themselves hard enough. Some are lazy, some are disorganized, some are not self-motivated, some are uni-dimensional (skilled at just one specific thing), and the list can go on.

Certainty is very valuable in business, and people would often pay 10, 100, even 1000 times for greater certainty in outcome.

I am sure there are experienced folks who can charge a premium, for having strong record and good relationship with their customers who also happen to operate in a high margin business, and hence they prioritize certainty over cost cutting.

It is to echo what prince33 has already said many times. Get grounded with what is happening in the market and avoid the entitlement mentality. If you are selling a skill set that someone else across the ocean can do that for a fraction of the cost, you have to think what proprietary knowledge and special skill set that you can offer

We are living in the world that everyone competes with everyone.

Most people get into a market
1) overestimating the size of the segment of the market willing to pay a premium
2) Overestimating their (current) ability to have proprietary skills/knowledge or secrets to justify the premium
3) And hence underestimating the need to play the war of attrition for lower margin and bigger sales volume

 

[frenki]

Instead of spending my free time playing video games and endlessly scrolling though twitter, I've learned that my time would be better spent learning a specialized skill. I've had an interest in copywriting for a while now, but I'm looking for input from the community on other specialized skills.

Thoughts?

Find a NICHE, find a common problem they have that they would pay to solve (By cold messaging / cold calling them and asking about it), Learn how to solve that skill or find someone who can already solve it and add a markup to his service fee and then start pitching your service to that niche in scale (Volume negates luck).

 

[Andy Black]

Our boys (9, 11, 13) love messing about creating pivot-animations on their laptops. They've each got a YouTube channel and want to learn how to edit videos.

It strikes me that video creation and editing is a fabulous specialised skill to have.

 

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[woken]

Our boys (9, 11, 13) love messing about creating pivot-animations on their laptops. They've each got a YouTube channel and want to learn how to edit videos.

It strikes me that video creation and editing is a fabulous specialised skill to have.

Tell me about it..


If there’s one regret I can think of is not pressuring more for a better pc to learn After Effects.


This was 2002/3( I was 6/7yo) My family bought me a PC , 500MB ram the best there was in my country ready for sale.

If I remember correctly, I think they paid around €2000 or something similar.

PC was fine. Among the first things I’ve done on that PC was getting intrigued about Photoshop. I’ve downloaded it and instantly became hooked. Couple years passed, I knew everything there was to do in Photoshop. I decided I’d like to try After Effects. Surprise surprise, I couldn’t run it on my PC.

That one and done attempt would come back to haunt me later.

Fast forward to 2021, I’m still using Photoshop. Everytime I have a new product idea, photoshop helps.

You know what I can’t do though? Edit videos at the same level as I edit photos.

Why? Because I couldn’t even open After Effects the first time I tried.



( i might’ve added a bit more drama and I realize I could’ve bought a new pc later on, but i didn’t, so this is the point i’m trying to make

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

 

[Andy Black]

Tell me about it..


If there’s one regret I can think of is not pressuring more for a better pc to learn After Effects.


This was 2002/3( I was 6/7yo) My family bought me a PC , 500MB ram the best there was in my country ready for sale.

If I remember correctly, I think they paid around €2000 or something similar.

PC was fine. Among the first things I’ve done on that PC was getting intrigued about Photoshop. I’ve downloaded it and instantly became hooked. Couple years passed, I knew everything there was to do in Photoshop. I decided I’d like to try After Effects. Surprise surprise, I couldn’t run it on my PC.

That one and done attempt would come back to haunt me later.

Fast forward to 2021, I’m still using Photoshop. Everytime I have a new product idea, photoshop helps.

You know what I can’t do though? Edit videos at the same level as I edit photos.

Why? Because I couldn’t even open After Effects the first time I tried.



( i might’ve added a bit more drama and I realize I could’ve bought a new pc later on, but i didn’t, so this is the point i’m trying to make

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

I currently use Loom or Camtasia to record the screen and Camtasia to edit videos.

I'm thinking of switching to the Adobe suite of apps and getting my kids involved - if they're interested of course. It might cost me a bit per month but could be priceless. Imagine they're young teenagers able to do graphic and video design/editing/etc?

 

[woken]

I currently use Loom or Camtasia to record the screen and Camtasia to edit videos.

I'm thinking of switching to the Adobe suite of apps so I can then get my kids involved - if they're interested of course. It might cost me a bit per month but could be priceless.

Well I’m not ashamed to say. Back then I didn’t understand how business works. I didn’t even know I was supposed to pay for it.


Sorry Adobe

I think I made up for it though..



I think I remember Camtasia from the same time period, but back then I’m pretty sure it was just a “ record your screen” software.

 

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[Andy Black]

I think I remember Camtasia from the same time period, but back then I’m pretty sure it was just a “ record your screen” software.

Camtasia is more great for my editing needs for course videos. There's a timeline, transitions, overlays, blurring etc.