The Range Is the Brand: Why I Refuse to Niche Down

Everyone says niche down. Pick one thing. The algorithm rewards specialists.

I joust, write software, make shields, train longsword, swim in freezing water, camp in winter, grow vegetables, and photograph the night sky. I am not going to niche down.

Why not

The range is the point. The same person writing GoLang microservices and riding in medieval armour at Hampton Court Palace is what makes any of it interesting. A developer is a developer. A jouster is a jouster. A developer who jousts is a story.

How it works in practice

Shield making informs software project management. Jousting informs HEMA. Cold water swimming informs everything. The audience that finds one discipline through another is more engaged than one that found you through a hashtag.

The practical test

"Does this show a capable person quietly getting on with things?" Capable implies range.

What I do not do

I do not pretend to be an expert in everything. I am a professional software developer. I am a professional jouster. I am an amateur HEMA fencer, an amateur cold water swimmer, and an amateur camper. The honesty about where I am on each spectrum is what makes the range credible rather than delusional.