Latest / Career Skills with Fexingo: Hard Skills, Soft Skills, and Future-Proofing Your Career / How Skill Substitution Makes You Indispensable
Transcript
- Lucas: So I was reading a Harvard Business Review piece from a few weeks ago about how some of the most effective managers in technical fields don't actually have deep technical backgrounds themselves. And it made me think about this concept I've been calling 'skill substitution' — the idea that you can replace one skill with a different approach and still get the same result. Luna: That sounds almost too good to be true. Are we talking about faking it till you make it, or something more structured? Lucas: No, it's nothing about faking. It's about recognising that most job tasks aren't so rigid that they require one specific skill. There's usually more than one path to the outcome. Let me give you a concrete example. Lucas: I talked to a marketing manager at a mid-size software company. She was hired to run their content campaigns, but she had almost no background in data analytics. That's supposed to be a core requirement in modern marketing. But she was really good at two other things: storytelling and customer empathy. Luna: So how did that play out in practice? Lucas: Instead of doing A/B tests and running regression analysis herself, she would interview customers directly, find out what their actual pain points were, and then write content that spoke to those specific pain points. Her campaigns consistently outperformed the ones that were optimised purely through data because she had that human connection piece. Luna: So she substituted analytical rigour with deep qualitative insight. That's smart. But isn't that just working around a weakness? At some point, wouldn't she hit a ceiling? Lucas: That's the key question. Skill substitution isn't a permanent fix for every gap. In her case, she eventually learned enough basic analytics to read dashboards and ask good questions. But she never became the data expert. And her career didn't suffer for it. She got promoted twice in three years. Luna: Interesting. So the substitution bought her time and credibility while she filled in the gaps at her own pace. That's a strategy, not a crutch. Lucas: Exactly. And it works because most hiring managers and teams care about outcomes, not how you got there. If you can consistently deliver results using a different mix of skills, they'll value you. Luna: You know, this reminds me of something I read about a project manager who couldn't code but managed engineering teams. He used his strength in communication and prioritisation to keep projects on track, even though he couldn't review a single line of code. Lucas: That's a perfect example. And I think we see this pattern a lot in fields where the technical requirements are intimidating on paper but negotiable in practice. The question is: how do you identify your own substitution opportunities? Lucas: One approach is to look at the job description for your role or your target role, pick the skill you feel weakest in, and then ask yourself: what outcome does that skill actually produce? Then think about what other skill you have that could produce a similar outcome. Luna: So for example, if the skill is 'financial modelling', the outcome might be 'making a data-driven recommendation'. You could substitute that with strong analytical thinking and the ability to work with a finance partner who builds the models for you. Lucas: Right. And that's basically what the marketing manager did. She substituted 'data analysis' with 'customer empathy and storytelling' because the outcome she needed was 'campaigns that resonate'. And she delivered that. Luna: Are there any risks to relying on substitution too much? Lucas: Definitely. The biggest one is that if the market shifts or new tools emerge, your substitution might become less effective. For example, if AI writing tools make storytelling less of a differentiator, then the marketing manager might need to lean more on data skills. Substitution should be a temporary bridge, not a permanent residence. Luna: So the idea is to use substitution to get the job done now, while also building the core skill over time? That makes sense. Lucas: Exactly. And there's another risk: if you're substituting too much, you might end up in a role where you're not growing at all. You're just using the same strengths over and over. That can lead to stagnation. Luna: So it's a balancing act. Use substitution to stay effective, but keep an eye on where your industry is heading. Lucas: Yeah, and that's actually something I want to come back to. But first — and I mean this sincerely — if this episode has helped you think about your own career in a new way, maybe it's worth a coffee. That's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Totally optional, but listener support is what keeps this show ad-free, and it lets us keep digging into these ideas without any outside pressure. Luna: Absolutely. It's a small way to say 'this mattered' and it genuinely makes a difference. We appreciate every bit of support. Lucas: So back to that balancing act. I think the smartest career move is to treat substitution as a deliberate strategy. Map out which skills you're substituting and which ones you're actively building. That way you're not caught off guard. Luna: Have you seen any industries where substitution is more accepted than others? Lucas: Yeah, actually. In startups and smaller companies, it's very common because they value outcomes over credentials. In more traditional industries like finance or law, substitution is harder because there are often gatekeeping requirements. But even there, I've seen people substitute formal credentials with a strong track record once they're in the door. Luna: So a lot of it comes down to context. Knowing your environment and what they'll accept. Lucas: Exactly. And the best part is, substitution also makes you more adaptable. If you can prove you can get results through multiple paths, you're less vulnerable to automation or industry shifts. You're not a one-trick pony. Luna: I love that. So practically, how would someone start building a substitution plan? Say I'm weak in public speaking but strong in writing. Lucas: Great question. First, identify a key outcome that public speaking usually delivers — maybe it's 'persuading a group' or 'communicating a vision'. Then think about how writing could achieve that. You could write a compelling memo or a slide deck that tells the story visually. You could also record a video instead of presenting live. The point is to find the alternate route to the same destination. Luna: And then over time, maybe you take a toastmasters class to build the actual speaking skill, but in the meantime you're not held back. Lucas: Exactly. You're staying effective while you grow. And that's really the core message: skill substitution is about being pragmatic, not about avoiding growth. Use it to keep your career moving, and then fill in the gaps on your own timeline. Luna: I think that's a really empowering way to look at weaknesses. Instead of feeling stuck, you find a workaround that plays to your strengths. Lucas: And that's exactly the mindset we want to leave you with. There's more than one way to be valuable. Your unique combination of skills — even the ones you think are weaknesses — can be leveraged in ways you haven't considered. Luna: Thanks for joining us. We'll be back with another episode soon. Lucas: Take care, and keep building.