# How to build a team of professionals

Like it or not, there are too many [specializations](jobs-specialization.md) in modern society to understand *all* of them.

For that reason, we must [trust](trust.md) other people to render necessary services for things we need.

- An adequate service provider will probably do more business in that domain in a week or month than you'll do in your *life*.
- They're aware of more dumb details, industry standards, and what to *not* do than you ever could from your position.
- Per-dollar, the money you save from their advice is the best investment you can ever make.
- Even when you're a legal/financial professional yourself, you likely don't know the idiosyncrasies of domains that run parallel to yours.

Most of the difference between a professional and an amateur is their awareness of risks and their skill in [managing or preventing them](safety-riskmgmt.md).

## Understand the basics

For *any* specialization, it's vitally critical to know the gist of what those professionals are doing, for several reasons:

1. If we're not aware of that subject *at all*, we run the risk of a professional exploiting us.
2. Even when that professional is sincere and honest, we run the risk of making a poorly informed decision simply on the limited information that professional provides.
3. Even when we make the right decisions *without* complete [understanding](understanding.md) of the situation, we don't [learn from it](education.md) and therefore don't grow as much.
4. Over time, not learning from expert advice can make us [technical idiots](https://gainedin.site/idiot/) at worst or, ideally, experiencing limitations on [finding meaning](meaning.md).

Since [the over-information age](information.md), finding legitimately high-skilled people is harder to sift from the many people who *claim* to be high-skilled.

- Many professionals are also experts at hiding their mistakes, such as renaming their failures as "new" things or [curating a flawless-looking image](image-distortion.md).
- If you're not sure how qualified they are, ask questions you *do* know the answer to.
  - If they're a legitimate professional, they'll indicate when they don't know.
- Even most "consultants" are "people paid to be held liable if something goes wrong".

Generally, a 4-hour summarized class or poking around online videos/articles is all you need to get the gist of the information.

- Consider your [health](body-4_health.md), [diet](body-2_diet.md) and [exercise](body-3_exercise.md), [self-determined goals](success-1_why.md), and [money management](money-1_why.md).
- Learn the basics of [investing](money-investing.md), [laws](legal-safety.md), [contracts](people-6_contracts.md), [money management](money-3_budget.md), and [taxes](money-accounting.md).
- Further, learn the basics of any privileges of your lifestyle: [autos](autos.md), [homeownership](home-maintenance.md), and [intellectual property](legal-ip.md) (if you [create](mind-creativity.md) anything).
- You need a *lot* more to actually perform in most domains, but you don't need to because you can hire a [specialized](jobs-specialization.md) professional!

When speaking with them, boldly ask questions about *anything* you don't quite understand.

- You're not stupid for not understanding: they probably make it look easy because of how familiar they are with the subject.
- If that person is offended by those questions, find someone else in the field.
- Frequently, their [language](language.md) will reflect itself into *highly* specialized jargon oriented toward what they work with.
  - That language is built to make their lives more convenient, but it lives in a domain of specificity that outsiders will *not* easily understand.
  - Often, in particularly specialized fields, you may need someone who specializes in *communicating* with them just to know what they're talking about!

A good professional has a unique relationship with their tools.

- Broadly speaking, a professional's tools define their trade.
  - Accountants' tools are financial reports and tax filings.
  - [Programmers'](computers-programming.md) tools are software and existing computer code.
  - Vehicle operators' tools are both their vehicle and what they use to maintain their vehicle.
- They see that all tools have severe constraints, but that they *all* have their uses for particular circumstances.
  - Even a bad-quality tool has its place, simply because it's disposable or creates consequences a good-quality tool wouldn't create.
- They'll frequently have experience [building](mind-creativity.md) their *own* custom tools for their work.
- Unfortunately, their specialization in their skill may mean they'll overlook tools beyond their scope of work.
  - The [law of the instrument](mind-bias.md) applies, and they'll often think their known tools are the *only* way to solve a problem.
  - They'll be comparatively unaware of other domains' tools.
  - Their awareness of adjacent industries, and attitude toward them, can demarcate between an extreme specialization and [technical idiocy](https://gainedin.site/idiot/).

## Assemble your own team

Consider every type of professional you will need.

- Look online at other clients' reviews to research reputable service providers.
- If you know anyone who is particularly successful in a relevant domain, ask them for a referral.

Before talking to them, gather and [organize](organization.md) *all* your paperwork beforehand.

- Unless you come in prepared, they'll bill you to organize it for you.
- Coordinate the preparation and meeting with your [spouse](relationships-marriage.md) and any [children](parenting-3_teenagers.md) who may need to be involved.

Walk through the same routine with each servicer:

1. Agree on how you'll work together and both your expectations.
   - They're usually bound by a confidentiality agreement, where you can tell them nearly *every* relevant detail without risk.
2. Gather the relevant information and set one, five, ten, and thirty year goals.
3. Evaluate your status and create a strategy.
   - Time your monthly activities (especially December/January) to adapt for annual reporting needs (e.g., taxes).
4. Understand their recommendations and possible alternatives.
   - Articulate what you mutually agreed on and [put it in writing](legal-safety.md).
   - Periodically follow progress with them and, if necessary, reconsider your goals and their arrangement.
5. Have them review everything at least once a year.
   - Ask for advice on the upcoming year to maximize investment returns, tax benefits, and [minimize risk](safety-riskmgmt.md).
   - Keep updating them on any significant legal or financial decisions.

## Types of professionals

Financial advisor (an IFA, or Independent Financial Advisor):

- A bad financial advisor will cost you lost [investment](money-investing.md) returns, and the worst ones are con artists.
- You can do most investing yourself (since you have your own [specialized industry knowledge](jobs-specialization.md) from *your* career more than a fund manager can have), but [retirement](money-3_budget.md) and [succession](hardship-death.md) planning requires more careful consideration.
- Research financial advisors with [FINRA](http://www.finra.org/).
- If you ever have any uncertainties about a potential investment product, take the [marketing materials](marketing.md) to a certified IFA.

Accountant/tax preparer (CPA certified, or Certified Public Accountant):

- A lousy accountant/tax preparer will cost you thousands in missed tax benefits or a discrepant audit.
- Choose an accountant and a tax preparer in a reputable firm.
- Make sure they match the niche you need (e.g., estate taxes, [small business](entrepreneur-1_why.md)).
- Before you go to your tax preparer, research what you can claim, and only claim deductions/credits they *know* you qualify for.
- Try to prepare taxes off-season (February and March) to schedule appointments more easily and give time to get missed paperwork.
- Report *all* income and activities, including stock sales and gambling winnings.
- Prepay taxes to avoid incurring interest on a filing extension.
- In the USA, you can also find great tax preparers as EAs (Enrolled Agents).

Attorney (Must have passed the bar exam):

- A sloppy attorney will cost you irreparably by neglecting the legal environment for you or your business.
- Look for at least two: a general-purpose attorney for filing documents, and one for every specialization you need:
  - Admiralty law (if you have maritime [logistical needs](logistics.md))
  - Animal law (if you [raise livestock](agriculture.md))
  - Banking and finance law (if you're working with [large amounts of money](money-investing.md))
  - Bankruptcy law (if you have [too much debt](money-2_debt.md))
  - Business law (if you're an [entrepreneur](entrepreneur-1_why.md))
  - Civil rights law (if you're facing [significant political hardship](hardship-persecution.md))
  - Corporate law (for large-group [managers](mgmt-1_why.md))
  - Criminal law (for [legal issues](legal-safety.md))
  - Education law (for [homeschooling legal issues](education-homeschool.md) or if you're [a teacher](education.md))
  - Entertainment law (if you're a [performer](stories-storytellers.md))
  - Family law (for [legal issues](legal-safety.md) with your family)
  - Environmental and natural resource law (for large-group [managers](mgmt-1_why.md), especially factory production and mining)
  - [Health care](body-4_health.md) law
  - Immigration law (for [citizenship](image-modern.md) issues)
  - [Intellectual property](legal-ip.md) law specialized in patent, trademark, and copyright
  - International law (for [government](bureaucracy.md) issues)
  - Military law (for military needs)
  - Personal injury law (for [breaches of contract](people-6_contracts.md))
  - Real estate law (for [real estate](home-maintenance.md) issues)
  - Tax law (for [accounting](money-accounting.md) legal issues)
- High-profile attorneys will charge for an initial consultation, but younger attorneys that need clientele do consults for free.
- If you like your attorney but don't need them, hire them on retainer to prevent them from defending an *opponent* if the situation ever arises.

Banker (Will be affiliated with a reputable bank):

- Bad bankers will file paperwork incorrectly and can incur tremendous fees and penalties for noncompliance.
- A banker will let you easily make complex banking decisions.

Realtor (licensed to access the MLS or Multiple Listing Service):

- A poor realtor isn't typically bad, since they'll likely still sell your home for more than you could have done yourself.
- Beyond [buying](home-buy.md) or [selling](home-sell.md) a house, you may need a realtor to purchase business property.

Insurance agent (licensed by a state's Insurance Commission to produce insurance):

- Even an adequate human insurance agent gives better service than online-only insurance.
- If you can, use an independent insurance agent who can compare insurance from different companies.
- Research insurance agents by looking them up on the [NAIC](https://naic.org/).
- Keep your insurance information together:
  - Type of insurance, company, plan ID#, coverage amounts, agent's contact information, monthly premium

Auto mechanic:

- You can typically make small [fixes](https://adequate.life/fix/) yourself, but large-scale [auto](autos.md) repair requires specialized equipment that either *needs* a mechanic's shop or a severely involved hobby.

Architect:

- You may be able to mostly [design your own home](home-homestead.md) from stock blueprints, but you'll need an architect to at least sign off on the plans.
- Even with a boilerplate architectural diagram, architects can add *tremendous* value in the [aesthetic value](engineering-design.md) of a building.