Funnily enough this is a strategy I’ve been using for years.

At University I used to wait a while for others to complete their projects and then pick their brains about how they went about solving them.

Now in industry I don’t bother learning new tech until I start seeing those skills show up on job sites or if I have a very particular need that requires a particular technology as part of the solution.

This strategy has treated me well but I believe has only done so because not everyone takes this approach. I’m also grateful for the time and effort others put in to allow me to essentially freeload off of their hard work. Every now and then I do find something I can be truly passionate about to help others do the same.