The lowest common denominator theory (with technology)

I've been talking to a lot of people about a project that I'm working on (it's still sort of in stealth) and one thing that has come up time and time again is the idea of a lowest common denominator (LCD) when it comes to technology.  The idea is simple: Develop a product that requires the least amount of technology to succeed.  So many products ask too much of their potential market to gain massive adoption.  Make it simple for people but most importantly, make it usable without adding any additional overhead to what they already have or do.

Facebook, in its early years, wanted to reach the college student.  They required only internet and a .edu email address.  Five years prior, not everyone had a college email address and some people didn't even have internet in their dorm rooms (crazy, I know).  But Mark and team looked at their demographic and realized that their users had the tools necessary to join the network so they in turn are now one of the most popular sites in the world.

Google wanted to launch a search platform.  Back in the day (1998) people didn't have high speed internet as readily available as they do now, computers were slower and monitors were smaller (now my 24" screen is outdated).  Because their product didn't require massive amounts of processing power and kept the design simple, everyone was able to access the site and search the globe.  Because they offered a service that matched their LCD they too are one of the most visited sites on the web and they are making over twenty three billion dollars per year.

When you're working on your next project, make sure you think about who your target is.  Cater to them.  Make your product simple.  And most of all, think about that LCD.