Simplicity Wins
There are two malls in Nairobi that I rarely go to.
Not because I don’t know where they are—but because of how they are designed.
Every time I go there, I get lost.
If I need to do something quickly, those malls are not my first choice.
And it makes me wonder:
How many other people feel the same way?
Was the experience intentionally designed—or is it simply too complex?
Now imagine if this was an app.
Would you use it again?
This question is not just about malls.
It is about how we design products, services, and businesses.
Because in entrepreneurship, one truth remains constant:
👉 People choose what is easy.
The Power of Simplicity
Think about the platforms we use every day.
Facebook. Instagram. TikTok. LinkedIn.
Nobody sat us down to teach us how to use them.
We opened them—and we understood them.
That is not an accident.
That is intentional design.
In my own work, I often use tools like KoboCollect for research—not because they are the most advanced, but because they are simple and intuitive.
No confusion. No friction. Just usability.
And that highlights an important entrepreneurial lesson:
👉 The success of a product is not determined by how much it can do, but by how easily people can use it.
A Case Study: Safaricom
Safaricom’s journey offers one of the best examples of this principle.
For years, its biggest success has been M-PESA.
And the brilliance of M-PESA was not complexity—it was simplicity.
Through the SIM Toolkit:
- No smartphone was required
- No training was needed
- No complexity was introduced
Anyone—from a farmer in the village to a business owner in the city—could use it.
That is what drove mass adoption.
From Simplicity to Complexity?
Today, Safaricom is evolving into a technology company.
The introduction of MyOneApp—bringing together the Safaricom App and M-PESA App—reflects a vision of integration and efficiency.
From a strategic point of view, this makes sense.
But from a user perspective, the experience tells a different story.
For many users:
- More steps are required
- Navigation is less intuitive
- Tasks take longer
Instead of reducing friction, the experience feels more complex.
The Entrepreneurial Lesson
As entrepreneurs, this is where the real lesson lies.
There is always a temptation to:
- Add more features
- Combine more services
- Build more “powerful” systems
But power does not equal adoption.
👉 Simplicity drives adoption.
Every extra step:
- Reduces usage
- Frustrates users
- Increases drop-off
In competitive markets, this can be fatal.
Users do not argue.
They simply leave.
Why Simplicity Matters Even More in Africa
In markets like ours, simplicity is not just important—it is critical.
Because:
- Not everyone is tech-savvy
- Internet access is inconsistent
- Users value speed and reliability
The most successful solutions are those that:
👉 Work with minimal effort
👉 Require little explanation
👉 Deliver immediate value
This is why USSD and SIM Toolkit solutions have thrived.
A Strategic Reflection
It is worth noting that Safaricom’s strong market position may cushion it from immediate user loss.
But the principle remains:
In a more competitive environment, complexity creates opportunity—for competitors.
Final Thought
Entrepreneurship is not just about building products.
It is about building products that people can—and want to—use.
The question is:
Are you building something impressive… or something usable?
Because in the end:
👉 Simplicity is not a feature.
It is the product.
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