Simple Rules by Donald Sull & Kathleen M. Eisenhardt Summary
Overview of Simple Rules
In a world drowning in complexity, MIT's Donald Sull reveals how Netflix, Napoleon, and Tina Fey use simple rules to achieve extraordinary results. What's the one principle Atul Gawande endorses that could transform your decision-making forever?
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Key takeaways
When Life Depends on a Colored Tag
A suicide bomber strikes a mess tent near Baghdad. Within hours, ninety-one wounded soldiers flood into the 67th Combat Support Hospital. Medical staff scramble, performing surgeries in hallways and parking lots. Chaos could have reigned - but it didn't. Instead, medics used a brilliantly simple system: colored tags. Green for walking wounded. Black for those unlikely to survive. Red or yellow for those needing immediate care. This triage approach helped achieve something remarkable: only one in ten wounded American soldiers died in Iraq and Afghanistan, compared to 42 percent during the Revolutionary War. What made the difference wasn't more technology or resources - it was simple rules that cut through chaos and focused attention on what mattered most. These shortcut strategies appear everywhere, from Federal Reserve interest rates to Tina Fey's "30 Rock" production process. They guide presidential drone strike approvals and protect marine ecosystems. Simple rules have become essential for anyone navigating our bewilderingly complex world, offering a counterintuitive truth: sometimes the simplest answer is also the smartest.
Drowning in Our Own Complexity and Why Simpler Often Wins
The Wisdom of Bees and Communities
The Three Flavors of Decision Rules
Executing Under Pressure with Process Rules
From Chaos to Clarity in Your Own Life
Your Liberation Through Limits
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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