Kaizen

I've been thinking a lot about Kaizen lately. Maybe because things are so bad all around, whether it's the quality of stuff, the lack of pride some factories take in what they build, or perhaps the "moar! cheeper! faster!" mentality here in the US. But yes, Kaizen...

Kaizen is a Japanese approach that translates to "continuous improvement". The Japanese are very good at it. During the few times I've been over there, I've seen how some people dedicate themselves to perfecting whatever they are doing, with every iteration making things better, more efficient, lighter, or simpler than the one before, even if only by 0.001%. You can see it everywhere, from cars to electronics, whiskey, knives, cameras, business processes, and manufacturing itself.

Anyway, going back to thinking about it. Imagine taking something that already exists and running with it, iterating until it's done better. Or creating something entirely new, then revisiting it, making it simpler, discarding what can be discarded, and reusing the rest. With each version, you turn it into the best it can be at that point.

The deeper I think about this concept, the more I want to study it and apply it to what I do.

I write for myself on the blog. I've formatted it in a way that I find pleasant and simple. Can I make it better? Simpler? Improve the navigation? Maybe. The current incarnation of this blog is version 3.0, with each iteration becoming simpler and simpler. But is it the best I can do?

Anyway, my mind often goes on random trips... This is one of those times.