When things get complicated – it’s time for a kiss.
KISS = Keep it simple, stupid.
I remember many years ago, when I didn’t know how to program, I asked a programmer friend what it meant to be a programmer. He told me: “You have a big problem in front of you, which you break down into smaller units until the challenges become simple.”
The same principle applies in business. As a company grows and develops, processes become increasingly complex. At some point, we’re left with only two options – either hire a new person to handle these processes or simplify them.
In most cases, the latter is the right path. Almost always, unnecessary steps can be identified, eliminated, certain procedures simplified, and the entire process made more straightforward.
In connection with this, I recommend reading two excellent business autobiographies. Both discuss, among other things, the concept of simplification.
Direct from Dell and Autobiography of Ray Kroc, 2 great books about KISS.
The first book is ‘Direct from Dell,’ written by Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Inc. He explains that one of the main keys to success was the ability to eliminate unnecessary steps and maintain transparency in the company’s processes. He also discusses the importance of going directly to the source in supply chains, eliminating intermediaries. This is crucial in all businesses, not just in a company that manufactures and sells computers. By the way, Dell was one of the first companies in the 1990s to fully utilize direct online sales of computers, without intermediaries. Direct sales. And because of this directness and process simplification, the book is titled ‘Direct from Dell.’
The second book is the autobiography of Ray Kroc, the founder of the fast-food chain that we all know best. In this chain, which incidentally holds the record for the time it takes from order to food delivery, everything is dedicated to simplifying processes. Efficiency is the holy grail, in the pursuit of maintaining high profitability despite low prices and slim margins. I’m talking, of course, about McDonald’s.
So, today’s advice, well-known to experienced entrepreneurs, is always to ask yourself ‘KISS?’ – especially when things get complicated. What could you simplify, and what could you eliminate to make processes faster, simpler, cheaper, and more effective?
