We often hear the adage "keep it simple," but as business leaders like Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs know and have proven, simplicity is often much harder to achieve than it seems. However, it's a competitive advantage.
On the surface, the idea of simplicity seems straightforward. After all, who doesn't want to make things easier and more efficient? But when it comes to running a business, simplicity is often harder to achieve than it appears.
Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon has spoken extensively about the importance of simplicity in business. In a letter to shareholders, Bezos wrote, "Complexity is your enemy. Any time you spend energy on something that is not your core business, it's complexity. Any time you spend more time on a process or communication than you need to, it's complexity. This comes up in all sorts of areas. One common example is when you see a company with a complicated, hard-to-use website. That's complexity."
Bezos goes on to say that simplicity is a key component of Amazon's success and that the company works hard to eliminate unnecessary complexity in all aspects of its business. He believes that simplicity allows a company to be more agile and responsive to change and to focus on what is truly important.
One reason why simple is hard is that it requires a deep understanding and mastery of a subject. To be able to distill complex information down into its simplest form, one must have a thorough understanding of the subject matter. This can be difficult to achieve, as it requires a lot of time and effort to gain such a deep understanding. If we talk about business, it also requires a profound knowledge of your customer and their needs. As Bezos has stated, "We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It's our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better." This means that in order to create truly simple products and experiences, you have to have a deep understanding of your customers and what they want.
Another reason why simple is hard is that it requires a willingness to cut out the unnecessary. This means being willing to let go of features, processes, and even entire products that don't directly contribute to your customer's experience. It can be difficult to make these tough decisions, but they are necessary in order to create a truly simple product or service.
Additionally, simplicity often requires a level of discipline and restraint. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of adding new features and trying to please everyone, but true simplicity comes from making tough decisions and sticking to a clear vision. This can be difficult for business leaders, as it often means sacrificing short-term gains for long-term success.
In summary, achieving simplicity can be difficult due to the abundance of information available, the influence of our own biases and preconceptions, and the desire for perfection. However, with effort and the right mindset, it is possible to overcome these challenges and achieve simplicity in our thinking and our solutions.