&gt; &quot;Skill in software engineering, like skill in any subject, is not cultivated by limiting yourself to a narrow set of knowledge and challenges.&quot;<p>Except you&#x27;ve done exactly this by selecting tree structures, something you find intuitive, and using it as a measurement for everything else. If you hire like this you will be successful in surrounding yourself with others who think just like you. Maybe that&#x27;s a strength for the product you&#x27;re building but it&#x27;s a strength achieved by limiting yourself to a narrow set of knowledge.