How Generalists Can Build Successful Businesses (with examples)

Hey ,

It's been two weeks since my last email to you.

Between then and now, I've systematised:

• My Twitter
• LinkedIn
• New YouTube podcast

I went through close to 12 tools, trying to find the perfect mix for my use case.

I finally found a groove. I'll tell you about it in the coming days.

Today, I want to share some ideas I recently discussed in the latest podcast episode of 'The Dayo Samuel Report'.

If you're a generalist or someone with diverse interests and skills, you may have faced the challenge of finding a clear path to building a successful business.

It can feel overwhelming to figure out how to turn your broad range of talents into a thriving enterprise.

But being a "jack of all trades" is actually an advantage when it comes to entrepreneurship

Whether you're a multi-passionate creative, a perpetual learner, or someone who simply refuses to be confined to one specialty, you can turn your generalist tendencies into a profitable business (or businesses!) and create a fulfilling entrepreneurial journey in the way that matters most to you.

Horizontal vs. Vertical Business Building

The key to success as a generalist entrepreneur is to think in terms of "horizontal" or "vertical" business models.

Horizontal Business Building:

• Choose one core service or skill that you excel at
• Offer that service to multiple markets or industries
• For example, if your top skill is video production, you can provide that service to nonprofits, startups, personal brands, and more

Vertical Business Building:

• Focus on one specific market or industry
• Develop multiple products and services to serve that target market
• For instance, if your market is health and fitness, can you offer coaching, courses, physical products, events, and more?

The beauty of this approach is that it allows you to play to your strengths as a generalist, while also providing stability and scalability.

You can easily transition between markets or add new revenue streams, without feeling limited to just one business idea.

Elon Musk: The Quintessential Generalist Entrepreneur

You may not particularly like Elon that much, but we can't deny that he is a prime example of a successful generalist entrepreneur.

Musk has dabbled in a diverse array of industries...

• From finance (PayPal) to
• Space exploration (SpaceX)
• Electric vehicles (Tesla)
• Brain-computer interfaces (Neuralink)
• And now social media (Twitter/X).

Rather than confining himself to one specialty, Musk has leveraged his broad skillset to build multiple thriving businesses.

He's an expert at identifying opportunities, thinking big, and expanding into new markets.

Importantly, Musk doesn't see his generalist tendencies as a weakness - he embraces them as a competitive advantage. (Something many of us need to learn.)

The key takeaways from Musk's story:

• Generalists can excel at identifying synergies between different industries and technologies
• Diversifying your business interests can lead to compounding wealth and impact
• Being a "jack of all trades" doesn't have to hold you back - it can empower you to think creatively and take on ambitious goals

Jeff Bezos and Aliko Dangote: More Generalist Entrepreneurial Examples

Let me highlight two other renowned generalist entrepreneurs: Jeff Bezos and Aliko Dangote.

Jeff Bezos:

• Started with Amazon, but has expanded into space exploration, AI, cloud computing, and more
• Demonstrates how a generalist can leverage one core business to fund and power new ventures

Aliko Dangote:

• Built a massive business empire spanning industries like cement, food, oil, and more
• Focused on identifying large, high-volume consumer markets and making his products affordable and accessible

Both Bezos and Dangote showcase how generalists can strategically identify opportunities, scale their impact, and build diverse revenue streams.

Their stories reinforce the idea that being a polymath is an advantage, not a limitation, in the entrepreneurial world.

See, , your diverse talents and interests are actually your greatest assets as an entrepreneur.

Rather than feeling confined or unsure of how to proceed, you can leverage your generalist mindset to create a fulfilling, impactful, and profitable business journey.

The key is to stop seeing your wide range of skills and passions as a liability, and instead view them as tools in your entrepreneurial toolkit.

By carefully selecting your core competencies and strategically applying them across different markets, you can build multiple income streams and position yourself for long-term success.

I hope this makes sense to you early enough!

I'd love to get your response to today's newsletter. Reply and tell me your favourite part.

1. I love it because...😍
2. I don't like it because...🙈
3. It does not make any sense at all. 😡

Just send me a reply with the number that resonates most with you.

PS: My new podcast is the best way to keep this conversation going. Come join me live every weekend, and you can join me in the studio to ask me any questions.

Live courageously,

Dayo Samuel 💯