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Steve Jobs said: “Simple is harder than complex: you have to work on thinking clearly to be simple.” It seems obvious keep things simple Will help your business succeed. However, doing this is surprisingly difficult.
If simplicity is so challenging, then you need to achieve it consciously. This is why many successful companies actively make it a value priority. IKEA’s focus on simplicity is reflected in its design, catalog, store experience and more. One of Nike’s 11 management mantras is “Simplify and Act” to keep teams focused on moving quickly Adapt to new technologies and fashion.
I believe simplicity is the driving force behind genius innovation. In fact, my journey as an entrepreneur started with the idea of simplifying complex and bureaucratic processes. Now, the idea’s success brings new challenges. We serve millions of customers in more than 100 countries, and they have many different needs – and to meet all of those needs, we need a lot of different capabilities. Therefore, we have to find the simplest ideas to improve the experience for the largest number of users.
related: Here’s why you should embrace simplicity as a strategy (and 3 ways to implement it)
Simplifying innovation is the secret to success
Some people believe that as an entrepreneur you must bring breakthrough technological innovations to the world. But in fact there is still a lot of room Innovate on top of new technologiessimplify them and package them for specific use cases.
If you think about the two tech giants of our time, Google and Apple, neither of them invented their core technology. Apple wasn’t the first company to make home computers or cell phones, and Google wasn’t the first to develop a search engine. They make existing innovations simpler and more user-friendly, which is a recipe for success.
This is especially important in the current revolution driven by: Generative artificial intelligence. There are certainly huge opportunities to create new AI-driven technologies, but there’s an even greater opportunity to find ways to package those technologies into user-friendly software for specific use cases.
To do this, first master the technology and then put yourself in the shoes of potential users. Try to understand what is really useful about the innovation and what obstacles people may face when trying to use it.
The key is to find a way to simplify the technology so that it is easier for the target users to understand and adopt it. Do this and you’re a winner.
Work smarter by simplifying communication
Another part of any business that is very important to simplify is communication and processes. As a company grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to get people on the same page or ensure continuity between departments. poor communication Misunderstandings arise, leading to errors. The more people involved in a project, the more likely the workflow will become complex. It all slows down, wastes time, and limits your ability to make an impact on your business.
Let’s start with communication. Using a single, simple language throughout the company is critical for people to be able to understand each other. For example, try to use less jargon and three-letter acronyms, or if you use them, make sure you explain them. You can help onboard new employees by creating organized history and planning files so anyone can quickly find important information when they need it.
Create Transparent culture Different departments share their plans with each other. Create a framework to facilitate this, such as quarterly reviews or roadmap deployment. It’s impossible for employees to actively participate in everything that happens in the company, but by helping everyone participate passively, you can ensure they are on the same page and can promote ideas and collaboration among the team.
When you do need to communicate, encourage your team to do so in the most direct way possible. By simplifying communication and making it easy to understand, discussions are more focused and decisions are made faster.
related: The key to communicating important messages effectively is simplicity
Put simplicity at the heart of your product
Simplifying thinking can also be applied to product development. By making small incremental changes (sometimes alongside user testing groups), you can use an inspect-and-tweak approach to understand adoption and any issues, and innovate further accordingly. Sometimes you can combine all these small changes into one big product update and roll it out to everyone.
For example: A company adds a lot of extra value to its product through new features and new versions. In theory, this is great for users, but some find the user interface underwhelming and the new pricing options confusing. For example, some people are happy to receive ingredients to cook their own meals, but most people would rather the chef cooks the food themselves so they can enjoy the end result.
I learned this through them feedback, the company made changes to its UI to help users get the end result they want without having to work hard to achieve it themselves. By simplifying, the company maximizes the value impact of all new features added to the product.
related: Keep it simple: Why simplicity is the key to making your brand win
Richard Branson once said: “Any fool can make something complicated. It’s hard to make it simple.” Simplicity doesn’t happen by accident—you need to do it intentionally. You have to speak up and make it a focal point for the entire company. You need to put it at the heart of everything. When you succeed, the impact will be huge.
