Definitely... If the concept is foreign, it can be hard to determine when its use is and isn't appropriate.
Personally, I find it useful to compare it to WIP in Lean development/manufacturing. Putting loads of upfront effort into a single area of focus(ie. deeply studying a single UI library) can clog up other work you need to complete downstream (ie. shipping). It also lengthens your feedback loop, as you may realize that the library you've spent so much time learning doesn't end up being the right tool for your next 6-month project/engagement.
This style of learning isn't a silver bullet though, as you may, in fact, need detailed expertise in some cases... Perhaps you're consulting on a particular UI library, in which case it would be greatly beneficial to know its inner workings and nuances. Another example would be learning transferable skills and "first principles" (ie. software design patterns, effective writing, communication, etc). These are broadly applied skills that may be prerequisites for future learning. You could make an argument there that upfront investment would reap long-term benefits.
However, even those last 2 examples could be tackled at a lower level in a JIT-like way. As a consultant, you can schedule your detailed learning in a way that's reactive to real-time client needs. Prerequisite learning could also be matched up with immediate/future goals (ie. read a book on effective writing as you're planning on contributing to your company's new blog).
Anyways, lots to think about on this topic! I'd be curious to hear some more of your (or anyone else's) thoughts 😄
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Definitely... If the concept is foreign, it can be hard to determine when its use is and isn't appropriate.
Personally, I find it useful to compare it to WIP in Lean development/manufacturing. Putting loads of upfront effort into a single area of focus(ie. deeply studying a single UI library) can clog up other work you need to complete downstream (ie. shipping). It also lengthens your feedback loop, as you may realize that the library you've spent so much time learning doesn't end up being the right tool for your next 6-month project/engagement.
This style of learning isn't a silver bullet though, as you may, in fact, need detailed expertise in some cases... Perhaps you're consulting on a particular UI library, in which case it would be greatly beneficial to know its inner workings and nuances. Another example would be learning transferable skills and "first principles" (ie. software design patterns, effective writing, communication, etc). These are broadly applied skills that may be prerequisites for future learning. You could make an argument there that upfront investment would reap long-term benefits.
However, even those last 2 examples could be tackled at a lower level in a JIT-like way. As a consultant, you can schedule your detailed learning in a way that's reactive to real-time client needs. Prerequisite learning could also be matched up with immediate/future goals (ie. read a book on effective writing as you're planning on contributing to your company's new blog).
Anyways, lots to think about on this topic! I'd be curious to hear some more of your (or anyone else's) thoughts 😄