Using the Outsider Advantage

Niche. Specialist. Expert in one industry. Or one Platform.

Historically, this is what companies look for when they are recruiting for Project, Programme and Transformation resources.

But breadth of experience gives you the experience and learning to think broadly, to integrate and apply diverse perspectives. 

And I think AI projects are going to change what companies look for as AI projects are inherently interdisciplinary challenges that require broad thinking.

Here's what research shows:

👉 Breakthroughs come from integration: Studies of interdisciplinary AI teams found that diverse backgrounds drive higher adoption and more effective outcomes than siloed experts (MIT, Quantative Science Studies)

👉 Cross-domain fluency builds adaptive expertise: In cognitive science, "adaptive experts" aren't just efficient in one area, they can reframe and solve novel problems by drawing on experiences across industries

👉 A generalist, with knowledge of a broad range of issues, can see deeper inside this interconnectedness and find solutions that a specialist might nto be able to see (cleverism.com)

Generalist are better at predicting the outcome of issues, even outside of their specific areas of expertise (Professor Phillip Tetlock, 

In David Epstein's book, Range, he explains that:

👉 Breakthroughs often come from borrowing as generalists spot patterns across unrelated fields 

👉 Generalists connect the dots others don't, bringing fresh, unexpected insights 

👉 Breadth fuels problem solving as diverse experience leads to smarter, more creative solutions 

👉 The outsider advantage means less bound by convention, more likely to challenge assumptions 

👉 Learning across domains builds agile, flexible thinking that sticks 

👉 Over specialisation narrows thinking, with entrenched experts often missing the bigger picture 

👉 Generalists innovate, adapt, and connect ideas specialists can't even see

And for PMs and AI projects, breadth is particularly valuable as:

👉 PMs live at the intersection of strategy, people, tech and process, and rarely get to deal with neat, rule-based problems

👉 PMs have to be adaptable thinkers and being able to pull from multiple domains, communicate across silos and adjust quickly to uncertainty is hugely valuable

👉 PMs spend there lives problem solving and this requires not just lateral thinking, but creativity and, often, innovation.

It's diversity of experience that gives PMs an edge when anticipating challenges, resolving conflict, problem solving and guiding teams through ambiguity.

Have you found your diversity of experience to be an asset in your career?