Simple Pleasures

 Some of the best things in life are the simple things:

• The first steps your child takes
• The smell of fresh baked goods
• The warmth of the rising sun after a cold night
• S'mores shared with loved ones cooked over a campfire.

A smile shared with others.

Bobby McFerrin, best known for his song "Don't Worry, Be Happy," has another song on that album that is one of my favorites: "Simple Pleasures. "This song inspires me to cherish the simple pleasures in life and inspired me to write this article. Give it a listen. It sure puts a smile on your face!

Good + Simple = Great

Simplicity is a huge factor that makes good things great. If you have something good going, add some simple to it and see what happens. A whiskey sour is whiskey, lime juice, and simple (syrup). But seriously, from a business perspective, ask yourself: What are the good things your customers enjoy? Then, ask, how can I add simple to this and make it great?

Example: Software… and YES AI is software!

In 2000, I attended a Developer Conference in Washington, DC, where I participated in a session titled "Building Intelligent Web Agents." The gentleman leading the session walked us through how to build intelligent agents that can automate things. His example revolved around an agent he built to help him acquire guitars he collected from an online auction site. It wasn't simple for anyone other than experienced software engineers. It was not simple, even for very experienced engineers. Over the past twenty-five years, I've used these concepts to build and deliver intelligent software to the world. It wasn't until 2017 that I noticed a shift where building intelligent software using ML (Machine Learning) was much, much more simple to do. It wasn't until 2021 that I began seeing simplicity in mainstream interaction with intelligent software. Voice-to-text and text-to-voice have been those extraordinary simple accelerators. Today, most non-technical users can speak commands to affordable, easy-to-set-and-use devices and have software do their bidding. "Alexa, Siri, or Google… make me a s'more" might be a reasonable ask very soon. 

Make it Great

Bringing down the barriers of complexity can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Simplifying your business, offering, and user experience will make the good… GREAT! While a s'more made by your AI assistant may not have the same simple pleasure as enjoying one over a campfire with loved ones. Making it easy for people to do business with you will only help make your business great. Take those first steps now, and if you need a helping hand with your product engineering, contact me. I know the landscape and am happy to share a smile and some advice.