📦 Less But Better: Why Simplicity Wins (Even in Productivity)

Day 26 of 30: Inspired by Steve Jobs, German design, and the power of doing less

Author

Selim Uysal
June 27, 2025

Hi friend,

Today’s reflection comes from something I’ve been listening to for the past week: the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson (Audible, Storytel).

It’s 25 hours long, and I’m still learning something new in every chapter, about product design, creativity, leadership, and perhaps most strikingly… simplicity.

But it’s not all admiration. The book also reveals Jobs’ darker sides: his emotional volatility, his harsh treatment of colleagues, and his perfectionism taken to extremes. He could be rude, dismissive, and almost obsessively controlling.

And yet, it’s this same intensity that fueled some of the most iconic innovations of our time.

🧠 “Less, but better”, The Gospel of Design

One moment that really struck me was about Dieter Rams, the German industrial designer behind Braun. His philosophy?

“Weniger, aber besser.” (Less, but better.)

This isn’t just minimalism. It’s intentional reduction. It’s cutting what’s unnecessary, not just to simplify, but to clarify.

It reminded me of how Steve Jobs, upon returning to Apple, eliminated 70% of the company’s product line. He drew a simple 2x2 matrix on a whiteboard:

📱 Consumer vs. Professional

🖥 Desktop vs. Portable

That’s it. Four products. Focused effort. Total clarity.

And that ruthless focus? It saved Apple.

🎯 Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication

You’ve probably heard this quote before. It was on one of Apple’s early brochures, and often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

It’s true for product design, but also true for life, productivity, and your goals.

Today, I’m juggling 10 different projects:

– a day job

– a writing habit

– newsletter writing

– master thesis

– family responsibilities

…and so on.

But deep down, I know the truth:

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

— Stephen R. Covey

That’s not just a quote. It’s a challenge.

📌 How to Apply This Today:

Here’s what I’m reminding myself (and maybe it’ll help you too):

1️⃣ Simplify your priorities.

 → What are the 1-2 things that really move the needle?

2️⃣ Cut the noise.

 → Say no to anything that doesn’t serve your “main thing.”

3️⃣ Build boundaries.

 → Batch small tasks. Guard deep work time. Protect your energy.

4️⃣ Use technology to reduce clutter.

 → Automate or outsource anything repetitive.

 → Remove extra steps from your workflow.

—

🧠 Bonus Thought on AI:

If you’re juggling too much, try asking AI:

“Help me identify my top 3 priorities based on this list of projects.”

“What’s one system I can automate to save 30 minutes a day?”

“Turn this idea into a simple weekly workflow I can actually follow.”

Tools like ChatGPT + Zapier can help you simplify with intention.

Don’t use AI to do more. Use it to help you do less, better.

—

🔁 Today’s reminder:

Simplicity isn’t laziness. It’s clarity.

The goal isn’t to do more.

It’s to focus your energy on the few things that matter most.

💬 What’s your “main thing” right now?

Comment or DM me, let’s simplify together.

—

Onward,

Selim