Consider Dreyfus' model of skill acquisition. When acquiring skills, one moves through these stages:
- Novice
- Advanced Beginner
- Competence
- Proficient
- Expert
If I level with myself, I'm barely competent, and am likely closer to an advanced beginner than someone with competence. There is so much in the space of computing and software engineering and business that I have yet to learn.
But I'm certainly pass novice. The years I've invested so far into the field haven't been for nothing.
The primary question I want answers to is: where do I go from here? I have things I want to do. And I want to do them sooner, rather than later.
What does a fast-track to expert mean in my situation?