"Any
fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch
of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction."
--Albert Einstein
Ummm....yup.
As you make your product, service, religion, political platform, or lifestyle more robust, meaningful, complete, rich, or detailed you gotta remember one thing. Make it easy.
More buttons on your cellphone or less? More phone numbers to call or less? More bookmarks or less? More policy papers or less? More versions of Jesus or less?
Here's the thing: We often confuse easy for simple. Simple for incomplete. But just the opposite is true. True sophistication comes when you deliver *all* of the features, all of the meaning, in an easy package.
There were probably 800 million pages written on the idea that Eastern Europe needed to be free, another 800 million on the idea that we could walk in space. Certainly there were 100 years of debate on racial equality in America before it came about. 500 models of cellphones to date thus far. All solved by a breakthrough in simplicity and ease of use.
"Tear down this wall."
"We will land a man on the moon in this decade."
"I have a dream."
"iPhone."
Making it easy is hard. But you don't want Albert Einstein thinking you're just any old fool now, do you?
I'm not so sure that we can declare "racial equality" here, yet. At least in the world of education, and poverty, we have a long way to go before we declare all races equal.
Posted by: Claire | February 28, 2007 at 03:15 PM
Indeed. I should have been more clear (it was shortly after MLK day).
"Racial equality under the law."
Posted by: Mike | February 28, 2007 at 03:19 PM