Human attention is inherently scarce.
Every added layer of complexity
Drains mental energy.
Once a simpler alternative appears,
People instinctively gravitate toward it
Because it frees their minds for other pursuits.
We crave simplicity.
What endures in human societies
Is whatever survives simplification.
Each generation strives to simplify through innovation.
If something is already simple enough, it won’t evolve—
It persists untouched.
What’s simple inevitably becomes commoditized.
But there’s a brief window when complexity is freshly simplified,
And only a few people seize that moment.
They stand to gain greatly from simplification,
Also risk not just eventual commoditization,
But being outsimplified by another innovator.
Thus, simplicity today is relative—someone may simplify it better.
Simplification must capture genuine human behavior,
Or it will be meaningless, since even simplification has diminishing returns.
Simplification reduces the pain of access.
This is innovation’s core function.
Before the press, duplicating texts was cumbersome.
Simplification through movable type revolutionized knowledge distribution.
Over centuries, printing became commoditized.
Eventually, digital media outsimplified printing presses—
It enabled instant global replication (the internet).
But by simplifying, it also lowers the barrier to copying,
And thus, the longevity of its advantage.
Every simplification invites a new counter-simplifier.
You make something two-click?
Someone else will make it zero-click.
It’s a “how much friction can I eliminate?” game.
This relentless race:
Pushes innovation forward.
But can lead to shallow iterations
When simplicity crosses into over-abstraction, it becomes hollow:
Clickbait headlines without substance.
Tools that feel easy but lack empowerment.
Simplicity without soul is grotesque.
You don’t succeed by simplifying for its own sake.
You succeed by embedding in actions of humans
Becoming the default verb.
“Google it”
“Uber there”
“Venmo me”
They didn’t merely simplify—they captured behavior.
They became ritual.
Every simplification removes friction.
But past a certain point, there’s nothing left to simplify.
The question shifts from “how easy is it?” to “how meaningful is it to the human experience?”
That’s why people still read full books, despite TL;DR summaries.
Why they visit therapists, despite self-help TikToks.
If you’re a creator, thinker, or builder, here’s my advice:
Identify complexity that frustrates or slows meaningful action.
Simplify it without sacrificing its soul.
Secure a place in the behavior of users
Anticipate commodification
(escape it through community, or embrace it and move to the next opportunity)
Avoid oversimplifying into irrelevance.
Even when you simplify and create something new,
Over time, that solution gathers layers—features, options, integrations.
It expands, handles every edge case, merges into larger systems,
And inevitably regains complexity.
Then a new wave of innovators emerges to re-simplify,
Stripping out bloat.
The cycle repeats.
In a world of billions of systems,
Opportunities never end.
Seek complexity that’s widespread but unnecessary.
Recognize everything can be simplified further.
Be vigilant at the boundary between “useful simplicity” and “oversimplification.”
If you remove essential nuance or utility,
Your idea risks becoming irrelevant.
Simplicity is a universal magnet.
Commoditization is inevitable
Once simplicity becomes common,
It no longer grants unique advantage.
Being outsimplified is a perpetual risk.
The solutions that prevail aren’t just “better,”
But align deeply with how people actually behave.
From alphabets and printing presses to smartphones and beyond,
Each simplification wave reshapes society.
The simplification may be powered by underlying complexity,
But the ultimate outcome simplifies the user’s experience.
What endures is what genuinely simplifies life without sacrificing human depth.
Innovators must catch the simplification wave early,
But always anticipate eventual commoditization.