Kiss Principle

KISS 是 Keep it simple, Stupid! 的首字母缩写。也有版本说是 "keep it short and simple", "keep it simple AND stupid", 或 "keep it simple and straightforward"的缩写。 KISS原则是指：简单应该是设计的关键目标，应该避免不必要的复杂度。

The principle most likely finds its origins in similar concepts, such as Occam's razor, and Albert Einstein's maxim that "everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler". Leonardo Da Vinci's "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication", or Antoine de Saint Exupéry's "It seems that perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away".

KISS原则最早是Kelly Johnson (1910 - 1990)提出的，他是航空航天工程师和航空器设计者，干这行超过40年，设计超过40架航空器。他曾经设计出世界上最快，飞得最高的飞行器 SR-71 Blackbird.

Be quick, be quiet, be on time.

这是Johnson的信条。他的理念是：

A concentration of a few good people ... applying the simplest, most straightforward methods possible to develop and produce new products with minimum overhead and outside oversight.

Johnson天生知道如何给他的团队选人。他知道如何用最少的人当工作完成，并且做好。他会让管理人员以最小的干涉来执行程序。他不仅给你权力，同时也会给你责任。

作为一个诚实而正直的人，Johnson也期望团队里的人也诚实。可以犯错误，但这些立马进入他的“法眼”。他非常确信与人诚信的重要性，不仅仅告诉别人他们想听的。他强调做好沟通的必要性，驱使他们总是问很多问题。

十二岁的时候，Johnson就知道自己的兴趣所以——设计飞机。“My whole life from that time was aimed at preparing for that goal”, 他在自传里这样说到。大学刚毕业时，他花了5美元在Flint开了第一次飞机。那是一架旧旧的双翼飞机，在他飞到700英尺高时，引擎坏掉了，只好迫降。不过这次经历被没有对他的兴趣造成伤害。

Johnson的虔诚地信奉自己的信条这点为众所知。他曾几次推掉了与国防部的合同，因为初期的工作显示出要设计的飞行器并不是有效率的，不论国防部给多少钱。

Kelly Johnson的成功秘密其实是没什么秘密。他不仅是世界最知名的设计者之一，他还是一个革新管理者，他会给为他工作的人一些挑战，使其不断创造出更好的产品。

Many of us in the Skunk Works turned down promotions to other Lockheed organizations to stay with Kelly. And uppermost for Kelly was to stay with the Skunk Works. He was offered a company presidency at Lockheed three times— and three times he declined it. “To me,” said Kelly, “there was no better job within the corporation than head of Advanced Development Projects—the Skunk Works.”

"Our aim," 他说，"is to get results cheaper, sooner, and better through application of common sense to tough problems. If it works, don't fix it."

"Reduce reports and other paperwork to a minimum."

"Keep it simple, stupid —— KISS —— is our constant reminder."