Start Simple
What is the simplest approach that would teach me whether the core idea works?
Situation
Sophisticated approaches are available before the basic problem is understood.
The idea
Technical sophistication and problem-solving value are different. A simple model can isolate assumptions, create a baseline and expose where complexity is actually needed.
Useful when
Early experimentsarchitectureprototypesselecting models
Watch for
Simplicity is a starting strategy, not a belief that simple solutions are always sufficient.
Where this came from
Quantitative research, Machine learning