Nothing is harder than simple

I loved this saying when I first read it a few months ago, and it is my motto now. My dearly departed Mother, a professional artist, used to tell me simplicity is the key to design. Quite true of course, but there is something more visceral about nothing is harder than simple. As an example, watch this video (if it doesn’t play, you can find it here or here) – hat tip to Instapundit:

Pomplamoose – Single Ladies

Whether you like the song or not is immaterial. The arrangement and performance are brilliant in their stark simplicity. Compared to the heavily produced original, it is elegant and beautiful.

Nothing is harder than simple guides all our efforts at PassageMaker. Doing business in China is frustrating, difficult, infuriating, aging, expensive, complicated…pick your adjective. It is anything but simple.

Thus the innovation of The PassageMaker Model of Trust & Transparency. Nothing is simpler than the truth. It may not be fun to hear, it may be unpleasant to deliver, but telling the truth is not complicated.

Trading companies exist by keeping customers in the dark. As middlemen, they add no value if all is out in the open. Maybe they are not actually lying, but maintaining the wall of secrecy between client and vendors is a form of deception that only adds complexity. In our experience, operating as a trading company is always more work and stress than it is worth.

All of PassageMaker’s services are built around the concept of being straight with the customer. Sourcing Feasibility Studies provide the client with all the vendor quotes and contact information, nothing is hidden. Vendor Coordination contracts are billed as a monthly fee – this is what our time is worth, take it or leave it. And if you choose to leave it, no hard feelings. We wish you well, and stop by if you are ever in town. Assembly-Inspection-Packaging contracts are billed on a per unit basis, but the same logic applies – it is a straight line item on the invoice, no hidden margins built into the materials, no kickbacks from vendors.

Mike and I have plenty scars from doing business in China, and I’m not going to say your project is going to be perfect and headache free. It’s China, after all. But PassageMaker will not add to those troubles and we will help make your life as simple as possible.