The Ultimate Sophistication is Simplicity

It's really hard to make simple things.  In fact, it's a lot harder to make simple things than it is to make complex things.  

Take facebook for example.  Facebook could be so much more than it is - it could do email (like Gmail), reviews (like Yelp) and news (like the New York Times).  It could provide for fantasy sports (all of your friends are already on facebook, after all) and it could allow me to post this blog entry.  It could be a one-stop webpage, but it's not.  Instead, it's focused on one thing: social networking, and it does that really, really well.  Imagine how cluttered the site would look if it tried to combine Gmail, yelp, and the New York Times!  

Take the ipad as another example.  Before Steve Jobs became CEO of Apple again, he told Apple to kill the Newton which was, at the time, Apple's tablet device.  The Newton used a stylus and the Newton was supposed to recognize user's handwritting.  Aside from it not being able to recognize handwriting very well, Steve Jobs said "God gave us 10 styluses [referring to his fingers], lets not make an 11th."   

A new carwash service called Cherry was introduced yesterday, which allows users to have their car washed wherever the car is for a flat fee of $29, including tip.  That's an incredible idea!  No one wants to waste time going some place to get their car washed and sitting there while the car is actually being washed.  I want it to happen without having to spend so much time and effort getting it done.  Why not just have my car washed, wherever it is, while I'm not using it!  Genius!

Cherry is a fantastic idea but the best part is how simple it is.  It's website is incredibly easy to use, and there is a flat fee, including tip.  You can rate the car washer afterwards, and his/her tip is based on your rating.  Thus, the washer still has an incentive to wash the car really well.  So simple. 

The only complication relates to unlocking doors.  If you don't want your interior cleaned, great - leave your doors locked and that's that.  If you want it cleaned, you can either (i) leave the doors unlocked, in which case the washer will clean the interior and then lock the doors or (ii) come out to unlock the doors when the cleaner comes to clean.  Ultimately, very simple and user-friendly.  

Simplicity is sublime.