Going back to basics is always a good idea

I'm a big fan of solving tough problems by going back to the basics. It's a tried and true method of getting things done. Some people try to pass themselves off as insanely smart by the way they talk and the complexity of the solutions they come up with. But I remember a saying I learned in engineering school, "Good engineers solve big problems with complex solutions you could never understand. Great engineers apply such simple solutions that you can't believe you didn't figure them out yourself."

This is true and is part of the reason why the subtitle of this blog includes "Focus on Fundamentals." You can't go wrong if you go back to the most basic building blocks of a theory.

A recent article about Google's datacenters also points out the power of relying on fundamental concepts. This time trusting that basic heat transfer theory will break new ground in datacenter design -- which is essentially a big heat transfer problem.

What we did at Google is essentially throw out the book on how to build data centers, and went back to basic heat transfer theory, went back to basic electrical theory, and essentially threw away everything that wasn't strictly necessary in sort of a minimalist design. Essentially the integrated circuit industry concept is step and repeat.

So the next time you think you're in over your head, don't try to wow the boss with a complicated solution. Instead, wow him or her with a simple solution that leaves them wondering why they hadn't come up with it. You'll gain respect and have less chance of screwing up.