This is something that has stayed with me ever since I started studying, and it has been important to me personally — because I have always had the urge to over-elaborate, to wear both the belt and the braces, so to speak. KISS helps me keep things simple and understandable. I hope you enjoy the post.
— Jeremy
It started with a handful of tools and a jet aircraft.
Kelly Johnson was the engineer who led Lockheed’s legendary Skunk Works division — the team behind some of the most advanced aircraft ever built, including the SR-71 Blackbird. And yet the principle he is most remembered for has nothing to do with sophistication. He came up with KISS — Keep It Simple, Stupid — as a way to remind his team that their state-of-the-art jets still had to be repaired by average mechanics with basic tools in the field. The message was clear: if it cannot be understood and maintained by the person who actually has to work with it, it is not a good design.
That was the 1960s. The principle is just as relevant today — arguably more so.
What does KISS actually mean in business?
In business, the KISS principle serves as a reminder that we human beings tend to overthink things. We like to fix systems that aren’t broken. We like to add steps to processes to make them feel more “optimised,” even when those steps only slow things down.
Complexity tends to creep in quietly. A reporting process gains an extra approval step. A pricing structure picks up exceptions and special cases. A business model that started simple gradually accumulates layers until nobody is entirely sure how it works anymore. And the moment that happens, control starts to slip.
The KISS approach helps boards and leadership focus on core objectives, making it easier to assess risks, implement strategies, and ensure accountability. That is not a small thing. In our experience working with businesses of all sizes, the ones that struggle most are rarely the ones facing the hardest problems. They are the ones who have made their problems harder than they need to be.
Where small businesses feel it most
For small and medium businesses, unnecessary complexity tends to show up in a few predictable places:
Finances and reporting. Too many accounts, too many cost centres, reports that nobody reads because they are too long and too dense. The result is that the numbers that actually matter get buried.
Processes and systems. Multiple tools doing overlapping jobs. Manual steps that exist because “we’ve always done it that way.” Approval chains that slow decisions without improving them.
Communication. Proposals, emails and client-facing documents that say in three paragraphs what could be said in one sentence. Jargon that signals expertise to the writer but confusion to the reader.
Pricing and offers. Too many packages, too many add-ons, too many options. When customers can easily understand your products, services and processes, they are more likely to engage with your business. When they cannot, they hesitate — or walk away.
Simpler is not the same as lesser
It is worth being clear about what KISS does not mean. It does not mean cutting corners or dumbing things down. Simpler did not mean inferior for Kelly Johnson’s team — by eliminating unnecessary complexity, Skunk Works developed some of aviation’s most significant breakthroughs in record time.
In accounting and financial management, simplicity means clarity. It means knowing your numbers, understanding your cash flow, and having reporting that tells you what you actually need to know — not everything that could theoretically be measured.
That is what we try to do for our clients at Meerkat Accountants. Strip away the noise. Focus on what matters. Keep it simple.
If your finances, processes or reporting have become more complicated than they should be, let’s talk. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh pair of eyes and a willingness to ask: does this need to be this complicated?