A lot of entrepreneurs spend years chasing optimization. They tweak their CRMs. They A/B test email copy. They run split tests, hire consultants, install dashboards. And for what?

Connor Robertson

Most of the time, it’s for marginal gains on a system that was never solid to begin with.

I used to chase optimization too. I thought complexity meant progress. But the more businesses I’ve bought, built, and advised, the clearer it’s become: simplicity scales. Complexity breaks.

Operational simplicity doesn’t mean being lazy. It means building processes so clear they don’t need babysitting. It means designing systems so intuitive new hires can follow them without training manuals. It means focusing only on what actually moves the needle.

The strongest companies I know are simple at the core. Their product or service is clear. Their team structure is clean. Their communication loops are tight. They’re not overbuilt. They’re agile.

When I walk into a business, I don’t look at how fancy the software stack is. I look at how decisions get made. Who does what. Whether customers are confused. Whether staff are guessing. Whether the backend is duct-taped together or running smoothly.

You can’t scale confusion. And you can’t delegate chaos.

That’s why my approach to acquisitions always includes a “simplicity audit.” I look for friction points—where complexity is slowing down cash, causing errors, or forcing expensive labor. Then I map a plan to remove the noise.

Sometimes that means cutting products. Sometimes it means removing services that don’t profit. Sometimes it means consolidating vendors or just turning off five pieces of software that no one really uses.

The result? Stronger margins, better morale, and less stress.

The real goal isn’t to build a business that looks good—it’s to build one that runs clean. That runs without you. That compounds quietly. And that buyers fight over when the time comes to exit.

So next time you think about optimizing your operations, ask if you’ve simplified them first.

That’s where the real leverage lives.

You can find more of my writing on business operations, acquisitions, and wealth design at drconnorrobertson.com.