Simple is not the same as easy.

Every solution I’ve been proud of started out complicated. The work was taking things away until only the useful part was left.

Start with the problem, not the feature

Most software gets built in the wrong order. Someone has an idea for a feature, then goes looking for a problem it might solve. I try to go the other way: sit with the person, watch the workaround they’ve built in a spreadsheet, and ask what they’d stop doing if it just worked.

If it needs a manual, it isn’t finished.

Three questions I ask before building

1. Who is this for, by name?
2. What will they stop doing once it exists?
3. What’s the smallest version that proves it?

Then, make it obvious

Clarity is a kindness. A clear screen, a clear sentence, a clear next step. Impact follows when people can understand what you made without you in the room.