You Don’t Have to be an Expert to Get Started
There is a view, held by a majority of the population, that in order to achieve greatness in their field they must have a degree, certificate or extensive formalized training. And I agree with that view if you are a doctor, architect, or lawyer. But for the vast majority of people out there — especially those that want to start and run their own business — that long-held view is quickly crumbling.
Since the rise and incorporation of the internet into everyday life, that belief becomes the limiting factor for many people. It holds them back from trying to achieve their dreams. The good news is that with the widespread adoption of the internet and the democratization of information, everyone can become a self-taught expert. No longer do you need to spend tens of thousands of dollars and years in college while learning theory. No longer are you locked out and prevented from entering the space you’ve dreamed of playing in since you were a child. No longer do you have to play by the established rules of the game. Now, you have the ability to live the life you want, on your own terms.
Many people from the old school have a preconceived notion that being self-taught is synonymous with being under qualified or providing low-brow services. But I’m here today advocating that being self-taught means something else entirely.
It means these people have devoted and dedicated their nights, their weekends, their lunch hour, their leisure time and their vacation time to learn, hone, refine and master their craft. Instead of looking down on these people, they should be revered and looked up to. By giving up their free time to pursue their dream, the self-taught folks of the world have sent a loud and clear message that they have the willingness, discipline, and fortitude to teach themselves something new that they are passionate about.
There is a certain amount of doggedness that is required to be self-taught in any realm. That’s because it usually takes longer to teach yourself something than learning it from an expert. There’s a whole lot more trial and error. A lot more failures and false starts. And it requires a massive heaping of persistence to go from novice to adept in a topic or field.
It should not surprise you to find that those from the old school will try and play gatekeepers to prevent you from entering into their space. And why wouldn’t they? These are the same people who spent 2 to 4 years paying tuition, taking tests and attending classes all to get a piece of paper that told them (and the world) that they are good enough. They delayed their satisfaction and earnings to achieve that piece of paper. So it shouldn’t surprise you that they will keep raising walls, roadblocks and challenges to prevent new entrants. After all, they are only looking out for themselves in an attempt to protect their fiefdom.
The Rise of Self-Taught Experts
There have been self-taught experts in almost every field, in every corner of the globe for as long as civilizations have started sprouting up along the Euphrates River. However, since the turn of the Century ,the number of self-taught experts has risen dramatically. And that’s because information and knowledge has never been cheaper or more readily available than it is now. Thanks to places like YouTube, Udemy, Khan Academy and more you can now get an education on any subject from the comfort of your living room or dining room table.
It’s odd that there is a negative connotation with those that are self-taught. Self-taught should mean having a willingness to learn, to experiment, to try and to fail all for the pursuit of a dream or goal. Instead of being embarrassed or ashamed for not having a degree or certificate, you should feel bold, empowered and resourceful for having the dedication to learn a new skill without having explicit instructions to do so. If you are self-taught, wear it like a badge of honor, not like a scarlet letter.
Put another way, which path is better? Going to school for two to four years while learning theory, reading books, writing papers and amassing debt? Or spending that time learning your craft and applying it on a daily basis? It’s getting close to football season so let’s use a sports metaphor to drive my point home.
If you are going to school and only reading, pondering and having classroom discussions that is the equivalent of sitting on the bench during games and practice to watch how others are doing it. If you are teaching yourself these skills, that is the equivalent to being out there on the practice field taking live reps with the rest of your team. Since you’re out at practice every day working on fundamentals and more advanced concepts you are learning what works and what doesn’t. Who do you think is going to be better suited for success at the end of four years of this process? The person who spent all their time reading, watching and writing or the person who inserted themselves into action on day one?
In addition to the above points, self-taught people are generally much more practical and versed in the nuances of the game than those who learned from books and theory. By being the scrappy young upstart that had to claw and scratch your way to success, you are forced to find shortcuts, ways around gatekeepers and how to do more with less. Because self-taught people have to figure things out on their own, they typically are much more innovative and nimble than their competitors. They didn’t have the luxury of being schooled in the right and proper way to do things; instead, they had to figure out for themselves what worked and what didn’t in order to survive.
*Quick caveat* This is not to say that learning the fundamentals, the rules of the game and the players isn’t necessary. In fact, if you are self-taught it becomes crucial to have a solid foundation by understanding the basic principles.
Experience will always trump theory. Having hands on knowledge will always trump reading about it. It’s always better to learn painful lessons from direct experience rather than hearing a story about someone else’s experience. Ultimately, the more chances you give yourself to succeed, the better your odds will be. Put another way, it’s better to be practicing and getting hands-on experience rather than sitting on the sidelines.
So don’t lament the fact that you don’t have a piece of paper or that you learned everything you know from trial and error or internet tutorials. Because chances are those of you that are self-taught are more determined and disciplined than those that sat in comfort for four years only learning, not doing.
Give me baptism by fire over baptism by reading, thinking and test taking any day of the week.
My Experience
I spent four years at the lovely University of Oregon (go Ducks!), graduating with a business degree in 2007. Like most kids who graduate, I would not say there is a big correlation between what I learned in school and the knowledge I used for my corporate job coming out of college. But for all intents and purposes, I fell into the formal education group over those that were self-taught. Part of the reason I went down that path is that’s what my parents wanted me to do, and I didn’t know any other way at the time.
However, that all changed when I decided I wanted to be a real estate investor as I took precisely zero real estate classes at Oregon. I did, however, enroll at the City College of San Francisco for a couple of night classes surrounding real estate law and appraisals. Other than a few classes, everything I’ve learned about real estate investing I acquired through podcasts, reading, blog posts, meeting those with experience, and networking events.
There was a ton that was not covered in my community college courses. I didn’t learn how to read a title report in class. I didn’t learn how to market to homeowners in school. I didn’t learn how to hire contractors or negotiate with suppliers from a desk. I didn’t figure out how to read demographic and housing trends from a textbook.
I learned each and every one of those things by doing. I asked — both Google and people in the industry — when I didn’t know the answers to my questions. I tried different things to see if they worked or not. I read articles by experts. I listened to interviews with real players in real estate. I attended meetups so I could get to know those that were doing deals and making a living at this.
As you can see, I went about learning the basics — the fundamentals — and then going out and executing. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. Did I mess up a bunch at the beginning and waste money? I sure did. But I wouldn’t change that experience for anything because I learned by doing, by experiencing and by trying new ideas. Instead of spending thousands and thousands of dollars on a formal education only to start at square one anyway, I eschewed formal education for hands-on experience.
And the best part is that I got paid for my education. Instead of forking over money to educational institutions or other courses, I received money for my trials by fire. You see, the first deal I landed, I made $15,000. To get to that point, I spent about $3,000 in marketing to land my first property. So you tell me. Would you rather get paid to learn or pay someone else to teach you the formal, proper way of doing things? I know my answer. What’s yours?
What about you? Are you self-taught or do you have formal education in your field? What was the last thing you taught yourself — was it for fun or business?
