On Skill Stacking and Playing to Our Potential
In this edition: A conversation with Deepak Jayaraman - author of national bestselling book "Play to Potential" on sketchnotes, skill stacking and living up to our potential
When we think of growth, we often imagine being the master at one skill and going deep.
But here is what my journey has revealed: you don’t always need to be the best in one skills. More often, it is about being really good (not necessarily the best) in a few different things and knowing how to combine them.
Differentiation happens at the intersection of two diverse skill sets that come together to form a unique combination.
For example:
A solid coder + design sense + business curiosity = rare advantage.
A coach + storyteller + facilitator = trusted guide.
A decent writer + clear thinker + visual communicator = standout voice.
That is the idea behind what Scott Adams calls Skill Stacking.
Think about your own skills. What two or three things, when combined, make you stand out? That’s often where your real edge lies - not in going deeper alone, but in building a stack that’s uniquely yours.
In my latest blog post, I share my story of how skill stacking has worked for me. I also delve into what playing to our potential truly means - with a sketchnote from Deepak Jayaraman’s national bestselling book “Play to Potential”.
A Conversation with Deepak Jayaraman
In 2024, I illustrated Deepak Jayaraman’s national bestselling book “Play to Potential”. Illustrating the book and engaging with Deepak’s award-winning podcast have played an important role in how I navigated my recent transitions.
So I was thrilled when Deepak invited me for a conversation. In this short video, I share insights on:
How I got into sketchnoting (and how it scaled)
Skill stacking and how it enabled me to go solo.
My thinking behind some of the visual notes, which add a layer of meaning to the idea.
What I think “potential” means and what playing to potential looks like.
See the full video here:
From My Journal
All growth and new learning comes from willingness to chart unfamiliar paths.
Bonus
Do check out Visual Playbooks for Leaders and Learners - a collection of timeless wisdom, insights and nudges in form of HD sketchnotes.
That’s it for this edition. Thank you for subscribing and reading.
