Here’s how to hack expertise and sell yourself better

These days, just being “great at your craft” isn’t enough anymore.

There are a million copywriters, designers, ad buyers, whatever. Your skills? Probably just as good as the next person’s. So…how do you stand out?

Expertise.

You’ve got to be the expert.

But here’s the thing —people mistake expertise for time. Truth is, ya don’t need 20 years in the game to be seen as an expert. You just need to know more than the person you’re selling to.

Once you get that, everything gets a whole lot easier.

Here's how to do it:

1 - Specialize Like Crazy.

Pick a niche so specific it feels small. Why? Because the smaller the pond, the easier it is to be the big fish. You don’t need to know everything—just the key stuff in that space. This will make it a lot easier to get to mastery, fast.

2 - Use the 80/20 Rule.

Learn the 20% of things that deliver 80% of results. Every industry has shortcuts like this. Get those down cold and you’re ahead of 80% of people. Tim Ferriss covers this extensively in 4 Hour Chef.

3 - Become a Teacher.

Expertise is less about knowing stuff— and more about communicating what you know.

Learn consultative selling. Write threads. Make videos. Give hot takes. Share what you know, and people will start seeing you as “the person” for that thing.

4 - Find Your Edge.

Here’s the crazy part: You’re already an expert in something—you just don’t realize it yet. Figure out what that thing is and position yourself. Expertise is relative. You just need to know enough to guide your client.

Most people overthink this. They assume expertise takes decades of grind. It doesn’t. Focus, learn the key stuff, and talk about it confidently.

Remember, the goal isn’t to be an expert to the world—it’s to be an expert to your client.

What did I miss? Any other tricks or hacks for positioning yourself as an expert? LMK!

— Shane