[[Simpler Better]]. **[[Simplicity is worth effort]]** and simplicity usually *takes* effort. It's rare that something simple and pure comes out fully formed without lots of work in the background or under the surface to make it that way. **Keep the mission as simple and clear as possible**. Complexity causes confusion and makes execution more difficult. The simpler the [[What is a Strategy|strategy]], the better. This is because of the following 3 reasons: **The simplest approach is usually the best one.** Anything beyond the simplest approach is, almost by definition, wasted effort. [[Do the Simplest Thing]]. **Simple is [[Modularity|modular]]**. Things go sideways. It's a fact of life. Every [[What is a Plan|plan]] will have unanticipated things that try to bring it down. Simple plans (and system designs) allow you more flexibility and allow teams to adjust parts without needing to scrap the entire plan. If a plan is too [[System Complexity|complex]] it becomes too difficult to adjust when the stuff hits the fan. [[Simple is Maintainable]]. Simplicity is powerful in terms of **communication**. A message that’s overly complex will not be heard. The simplest and most direct way to state an objective or approach is the best, even if it sometimes takes time. [[Simple Messages are Heard Best]]. [[Simple vs Easy|Simple does not mean "easy".]] In fact, [[A Rock is Simple but Doesn't Do Your Taxes|Simplicity isn't that simple]]. > Simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. - <cite>Steve Jobs</cite> > **Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability** - <cite>Edsger Dijkstra</cite> **** # More ## Source - [[Extreme Ownership (book)]] - https://thenewstack.io/developers-rail-against-javascript-merchants-of-complexity/ - https://www.infoq.com/presentations/Simple-Made-Easy/ - Dijkstra quote ## Related - [[Simple is Maintainable]] - [[YAGNI]] - [[Less, but Better]] - [[More is Unnecessary, Less is Impossible.]] - [[Worse is Better]]