By Scott Glasgow

The world is complex and connected in ways we don’t fully understand. Everything from products to personalities has a brand, a logo, an experience.

Most are instantly forgettable.

They look and feel the same as everything else. They’re built on rational thinking and they follow trends instead of forging them. A great brand is the opposite.

At FinMango, simple wins in our brand and design philosophy. It is what guides what we do for the people we reach and how we act as an organization.

The Feynman Technique:

The Feynman Technique is a learning framework that forces you to strip away needless complexity. It was developed by Richard Feynman, a Noble Prize winning theoretical physicist from the United States.

Interestingly, Feynman’s true genius was in his ability to convey complex ideas into simple, digestible ways. He observed that complexity and fluff are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.

The Feynman Technique incorporates four steps:

1. Pick and study a topic
2. Be able to explain it to a kid
3. Identify any gaps in your understanding
4. Review and simplify

You can learn more about the Feynman technique here.

Mathematical Illustration.

Let’s look at a mathematical problem that “looks” complex:

Do you know the answer? Interestingly, most don’t even attempt, few try, and everyone fails. It comes across as complex and intimidating.

So, Let’s Break it Down!

Below is an example of how I teach kids…

Steps.

1. Separate. Mentally draw a line between the first and second numbers.
2. On the left, take “x” and multiply it by “(x+1).”
3. On the right, simply square the number: y(y).
4. Merge. Combine both answers to get your final answer.

*NOTE: this trick only works when the number ends in a “5.”

Summary? Simple Wins!

It is easy to overcomplicate and intimidate. We all know the people and can admit to times we have done it as well. However, we cannot be fooled—complexity and fluff are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.

• Simple is generous.
• A simple idea is generous because it is understood by your customers, team, and community. It is easy to use and actively helps everyone.
• Simple makes bold possible.
• Once we have our simple idea down, we give ourselves the rare opportunity to do what the vast majority never do: to be bold and stand out in an ever-complex world.
• Simple provides direction.
• Thinking simple provides us not with a destination, but a direction. It gives us the “why” and how we can grow in that direction.

Conclusion.

It is easy to feel intimidated in such a complex world—both personally and professionally. However, we don’t have to accept this fate. Thinking “simple” can help us overcome challenges—no matter how small or large—by breaking it down with focus and clarity. Think simple, it’s how we operate at FinMango!

*** This post is being reposted. It was originally written and posted in August of 2021.

‍