It’s Complicated to be Simple

Today I was reminded about the importance of simplicity. It happened while I was cleaning out a drawer that I rarely open. It’s called the “junk drawer” and it’s the repository for all of the “stuff” I don’t need but don’t have the will to throw away. As I was rummaging through the “junk drawer” I found the remote control from the very first T.V. I owned. The amazing thing about the remote was how simple it was. It had exactly 15 buttons — 10 of which were number keys for changing the channel. It looked so bare. For a moment I thought maybe the rest of the buttons had fallen off!

My current television’s remote has — get this — no less than 43 buttons! Here’s the rub — I still only use the functions that were on my old remote. But now I have to hunt for them in the sea of extra buttons. And the buttons that I do use have become so much smaller due to the fact that more needed to be squeezed onto the face of the control. Sometimes I actually have to pause and think before using the remote. That’s sacrilegious! You shouldn’t have to think at all when watching television — that’s the whole point!

I see this same problem when I read college and scholarship applications and essays. I would venture to say that more than 90% of the application essays I’ve read have too much extra “stuff” which only serves to hide the good stuff. Much like the difference between my two remotes, it’s much better to have a clean and focused design than a feature-filled jumbo. This is why I’m a huge advocate of ruthless editing and keeping only the core of your message.

This isn’t easy since some of the material that you need to cut may be both interesting and important to you. (I can imagine the Sony engineers who designed my current remote finding it very hard not to add new features simply because they could.) You’ll have to make some tough decision. But the result will be a highly focused and powerful message that will stick in the minds of the admission officers and scholarship judges. A 500-word essay that shares an important slice of your life is much more powerful than that same essay with the addition of 500 extra words. You see, honestly, if I could, I would gladly exchange my current super-duper remote that does too many things I don’t care about for my old one that only did the few things I really needed. I would love it!

Maker Faire + Passion = Awesome

On Saturday I went to the Maker Faire. It was my first time and it was a total blast. For those of you who haven’t heard of the Maker Faire it’s a massive tech/art/craft fair held every year in the SF/ Bay Area. It attracts anyone who likes to make anything — literally anything. For example, I met a father and son team who built a firefighting robot. I saw an artist who built a flame throwing firetruck. (They should have put those two exhibits next to each other!) And, of course, what self-respecting tech-type fair would be complete without the hobbyist who built a 100% accurate replica of R2D2. I actually got my picture taken with R2. Okay, so I’m a geek…

But what makes the Maker Faire so fascinating and energizing (and it’s hard not to come away with a strong desire to go home and make something) is not the technology or projects, but the passion of the makers themselves.

How can you not admire the guy who painstakingly built a computer-controlled slot car that zips along a track at just the right speed to win every race? Who cares whether or not you like or even know what a slot car is. It’s the passion of the people that draws you in. It’s their enthusiasm that’s contagious and infuses the entire crowd with excitement.

It’s this same passion that will get you into a top college. Passion is probably the single most important and powerful trait you can have in an application. And here’s the secret: it doesn’t matter what that passion is about! It could be for something traditional such as math or something totally out of left field such as macrame.

And here’s another secret: It can’t be fake. If there is one thing that was clear at the Maker Faire, every exhibitor was truly passionate about their subject. You don’t spend years transforming a 40-foot school bus into a bio-diesel mobile home for profit! True passion is about something you really care about — which all begins with the first secret of finding something your truly care about. Don’t worry about how colleges will view it. If you can show passion the college will know it and they’ll want you on their campus. Guaranteed!

And if you feel like you need a shot of inspiration to help you discover your passion, get your tickets for next year’s Maker Faire. I guarantee you won’t be able to leave without a new appreciation for the power of passion.