Keep it Simple, Stupid

‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’

~Leonardo Da Vinci

When Steve Jobs started Apple, it was just him and Wozniak in a Garage, trying to build a computer for ordinary people. They weren’t thinking about revenue, growth, selling computers to the entire world…none of that. It was a simple vision — to build a computer that could be used by ordinary people.

Complex systems — billion dollar companies, successful artists, brands, even works of art — have one thing in common: they all start small and keep it simple.

Even when they begin to grow, their success is determined by how true they can stay to their original simple idea which got them going in the first place. When Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook, he had one simple vision — to connect the students of the Harvard community. As Facebook grew, that expanded to connecting students at all colleges and universities. Later on, it expanded to connecting everyone in the world. Today, Facebook one of the biggest companies in the world, but the mission is still the same at its core, only the scale has changed.

Shahrukh Khan, the second-richest actor in the world, was asked about what has kept him so successful over the last twenty years. And he said:

‘I’ve kept it so simple. I’m not bothered about what I am going to do through cinema for the world. I just want to make a film in which I am able to tell you a good story.’

Often times when I am thinking about starting something new, I like to have a plan and a vision. I recently decided to take on a new creative project. I was thinking about various aspects of it- the technical tools I’ll need, how I was going to make it big, whether or not I should collaborate with others on it etc. — I didn’t have all the answers, but I was lucky enough to find this guy who could guide me. I call him and asked him for advice on all those questions I had. One of my key questions for him was how should I make it big and what should be my plan for the long term with this project, also if I should collaborate with others or not. He had one clear answer — start simple and small.

While it is great to plan and think through everything, it’s important to not get too caught up in grandiose plans and visions. Start with something small and build up from there. And have a simple vision — trying to focus on too many different ideas leads to complication and confusion.

The KISS principle, as it’s often called, is applicable in design and technology. And also in entrepreneurship.

For me, it’s a framework to live by.