In a fast changing and adapting world, technology and solutions are no exception. New challenges are presented in terms of new problem statements which require different solutions that are modern in design, presentation and the speed of delivery – something which is possible but not exactly easy as it sounds!

Communication, specifically Internet and telecommunication advancements are the ones that truly make the current world, modern! These technologies have enabled people and nations across the world to come closer, trade and ideas to flourish and enabled access of information about anything in almost real time! For enterprises, this brings a new challenge as they have to cater to new set of stakeholders and challenges.

A fast changing world has meant that the solution to a problem needs to be almost immediate. Gone are the days when you could spend time in mastering a solution / technology and then spend months in delivering a solution. What used to be delivered in months need to be delivered in weeks and in better quality; Ramp-up and cool-down has to be instantaneous and the solution should be simple and easy to use.

‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’ – This is a well know quote from Leonardo da Vinci that is simple but has much depth in its meaning.

But how do we achieve this simplification. As an engineer designing / delivering solutions, would it help in mastering a specific function / technology or would it be better to understand and prepare in multiple functions/technologies so that an “instant-on” strategy can be made effective ?

I believe that the answer to the above can also be derived from Leonardo da Vinci’s life and works. He was a polymath whose primary expertise, as we know today, was in painting. However he was not just a painter. His work extended over engineering, geology, anatomy, etc. For me, he was the perfect jack of all trade but master of one! (Note: We could arguably call him master of all trades, but am using the term relative to his works and not relative to others!)

We are increasingly moving towards a situation where each one of us has to become a polymath. We need to understand how to build simple UI but also need to know how the database modeling needs to be done, how the integrations have to happen and how the business stands to gain from the solution. We need to have the big picture and also the micro-picture. We need to know if JavaScript on server side would help in resolving a specific problem or whether ABAP needs to interplay with Java/.NET. We need to be able to provision services (REST or SOA) or even consume them from other business systems or social media. We need to know if a monolith solution would help a specific problem or whether the micro-services would be the way to go. It is not sufficient that we just know how to decide, we also need to deliver! The above is important because it helps us in achieving the best solution in the best possible time with the best quality. The above is also important for an “instant-on” strategy.

Having said that, just like Leonardo da Vinci, I believe that is essential to master at least one area. It could be UI, application layer, DB, framework, application, Industry vertical, platform, cloud, etc. But it is necessary that there is at least one area that you can showcase, one that can be your brand and that can help you in achieving the bigger goals of a simple solution.

The demand of the day is for “Jack of all trades, master of one!”