At Instagram our engineering motto is “Do the simple thing first”. The idea is not that you should cut corners, but that you should try to distill the problem you are solving into its simplest form and solve it with focus and quality. Asking, “Am I doing the simple thing first?” is a great test to apply when you’re building the first version of a product, but how does that translate to V2, V3, and V(n)? It’s actually just the same rule on a new baseline, or you could say “Do the next simplest thing next.” By adding complexity in layers, you maintain the velocity to deliver a steady stream of improvements to the product.
The discipline of doing the simple thing first is balanced with an appreciation for details and c…