Jason Fried

“I don’t have enough time/money/people/experience.” Stop whining. Less is a good thing. Constraints are advantages in disguise. Limited resources force you to make do with what you’ve got. There’s no room for waste. And that forces you to be creative.”

That’s from Jason Fried, the author of “Rework” the focus of our Brilliant Books series. Of course, working with constraints and limitations also supports Fried’s main theme of simplicity and economy. It’s the philosophy he used to start his wildly successful Basecamp software company and it’s been used by many before him.

Shakespeare reveled in the limitations of sonnets (fourteen-line lyric poems in iambic pentameter with a specific rhyme scheme). Haiku and limericks also have strict rules that lead to creative results. Writers like Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver found that forcing themselves to use simple, clear language helped them deliver maximum impact.

The Price Is Right, the longest-running game show in history, is also a great example of creativity born from embracing constraints. The show has more than a hundred games, and each one is based on the question “How much does this item cost?”

Southwest–unlike most other airlines, which fly multiple aircraft models–flies only Boeing 737s. As a result, every Southwest pilot, flight attendant, and ground-crew member can work any flight. Plus, all of Southwest’s parts fit all of its planes. All that means lower costs and a business that’s easier to run. They made it easy on themselves. 

Brilliant Book Bit:  Embrace constraints. Boxing yourself in with limited resources and simple rules forces ingenuity, creativity and critical thinking. It prevents excess, bloating, and overindulgence. It keeps you lean and agile.

Kindest regards,