I recently learned about “Gall’s Law,” which is a principle in software development, but I think it’s far more applicable. I absolutely love it. It goes like this.
“A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over with a working simple system.”
This reminds me of so many things. Organizational structures. Planned cities. Languages created by linguists, rather than by people who actually speak it. (Does anybody speak Esperanto?) Healthcare reform.
Five or fifty or a hundred geniuses in a room will never invent something that actually works – if it’s a complicated system. You have to start with something simple that works in the real world.
There are several reasons for this. One is that we don’t completely understand our own desires and motivations – let alone the desires and motivations of other people. But also …
- Complex systems have emergent properties that evolve from the real-world interactions of actual users. They’re not always predictable.
- Many of the success factors are simply unknowable. They’re too complex to predict.
- Feedback and iterative development is essential. Real world usage is better than somebody’s great idea.
- Practical constraints might limit scope.
- Building to address an actual need and then modifying the product based on feedback is going to beat making guesses.
Here’s an example. People who know way more about video technology than I do say that betamax was a better format than VHS. So imagine 10 geniuses designing a complicated business around betamax, based on the premise that it’s the best format.
The product would have failed because you have to start with something that works. Like VHS.
Publishers often follow this rule with the MVP concept – that is, the minimal viable product.
Start with something simple that works, then build on it.
- McDonald’s started with a very simple menu.
- Amazon started as a bookstore.
- Google started as a search engine.
- Facebook started as a networking platform at Harvard.
By starting with a simple system that works, these companies gathered feedback, learned from users, and iterated gradually. This evolutionary approach allowed them to adapt, refine, and expand their services over time.
The lesson is to start with simplicity. Gall’s Law serves as a reminder to approach complex problems with a focus on simple solutions that work in the real world – and not only in some genius’s mind.
