Solving overlooked problems

Thanks to Kevin Kelly for pointing out Paul Graham's excellent post, Six Principles for Making New Things. It's practically a distillation of the Creative Good philosophy. Paul writes:

Find (a) simple solutions (b) to overlooked problems (c) that actually need to be solved, and (d) deliver them as informally as possible, (e) starting with a very crude version 1, then (f) iterating rapidly.

However, Paul continues,...

this is practically a recipe for generating a contemptuous initial reaction. Though simple solutions are better, they don't seem as impressive as complex ones.

That describes my experience, at least in consulting. Some potential clients "get it" right away - a simple customer-focused method will generate a powerful strategy! - but others instinctively reach for flashy, complex, and thus less effective, options.

And that, of course, makes the simple method even more powerful, because only a few companies actually try it. If you (like David) wonder why most technology is poorly designed most of the time, read Paul's post.

P.S. Speaking of succeeding by going against "the wisdom of the crowds," Sir John Templeton made a LOT of money, much like Warren Buffett, by being a contrarian investor. He passed away recently, and the Economist wrote a good obituary:

[Templeton's] iron principle of investing was “to buy when others are despondently selling and to sell when others are greedily buying”. At the point of “maximum pessimism” he would enter, and clean up.

• Aug 1, 2008
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