By Jason Fried · world.hey.com · @jasonfried on X · LinkedIn
Jason Fried argues that when we meet a simpler system, idea, or implementation, our instinct is often to dismiss it as insufficient. He suggests a better response is to ask why our own work has become so complicated and dependent on many tools and processes. His central point is that relying on more can reduce what we are actually able to accomplish. Returning toward simplicity can therefore be a way of moving forward. For product managers, this is a reminder to question accumulated complexity rather than assume added tooling or process equals progress.
01Key takeaways
- When you meet a simpler approach, resist dismissing it immediately and examine it seriously.
- Ask what about your current process makes simplicity feel unworkable.
- Recognize that depending on more tools or steps can reduce your ability to get work done.
- Treat deliberately simplifying a system as a legitimate way to make progress.
- Periodically audit accumulated complexity in your product and team workflows.
02Key sections
- The reflexive dismissal
- Simpler alternatives are commonly rejected at first glance as lacking features or being unworkable. This knee-jerk reaction is the default response the author wants readers to notice.
- Reflecting instead
- Rather than dismissing a simple approach, the author proposes asking what in our working habits makes simplicity seem impossible. This shifts attention from the alternative to our own assumptions.
- The cost of dependence
- Accumulating tools and dependencies can leave teams less capable of making progress on their own. More inputs can quietly constrain output.
- Going backward to go forward
- Returning to a simpler approach can be a deliberate step forward. The closing call to downshift frames simplicity as an active choice.
03From the post
“When you encounter a simpler system, a simpler idea, or a simpler implementation, you have an opportunity. You can say "it's not enough, it doesn't have, it wouldn't work". That’s the common reflexive response. Or you can reflect. “What is it about how we work that prevents us from using such a simple, succinct system?” “How did we get so…”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.