In Praise of “Dumb” Products

 

Complex is not the same as clever. And simple is not the same as dumb.

Because some of the best-loved inventions look like no big deal.

Some of my best-selling inventions started with a simple question:
“Why doesn’t this already exist?”

Quickly followed by:
“Wait… is this idea too dumb to be real?”

I can’t count the number of times I’ve thought,
“This is so obvious. Surely someone’s already made it.”

But then no one had. So I did. And it took off.

Just because something looks simple doesn’t mean it’s not smart.
Some of my most profitable products began as
“utterly ridiculous ideas” that solved a very real problem.

One example?
A deceptively basic winter accessory.

The Problem: Winter Hats Ruin Hair

I love hats. I wear them often, especially when I am feeling a little extra. But weirdly, in winter, when you’d think I’d wear one most, I didn’t. Why? Because warm wool caps flatten your hair. And worse, they leave a visible kink in your hair and a dent across your head that sticks around long after you take the hat off.

What I needed was something:

• Warm and soft

• That covered my ears

• That didn’t ruin my blowout

• That wouldn’t fall off if it was loose, but didn’t feel like a vice around my head

• And didn’t make me look like Princess Leia (ear muffs? That would be a hard no)

So I came up with an idea that’s laughably simple: 

A Headband with a Slit.

The slit did more than accommodate hair.
It made the headband more stable without the need for pressure. The hair kept the band in place, and the band kept the hair neat. And it looked intentional, not sporty or utilitarian.

My headband-with-a-slit quietly made its way into:

• Bergdorf Goodman

• Holt Renfrew

• Even Montreal's Museum of Fine Arts

A utilitarian version was adopted by boutique spas to gently keep hair away from the face (so much more comfortable than tight, headache-inducing, hair-pulling, towel turbans.) 

The Lesson: Don't Dismiss "Obvious"

My headband-with-a-slit solved a pain point for people like me, and apparently for many others, too.

And yet, it's the kind of product people love to dismiss:

“Isn’t that just a headband?”
“Why would anyone patent that?”

Because when something looks simple, people assume it’s obvious.
But when I made it? No one was making it. 

If you're first, and it works, that’s what matters.

So here’s the takeaway for inventors, product thinkers and tinkerers:

📌 If it solves a problem, it’s not dumb.
📌 If it didn’t exist before, it’s not obvious.
📌 And if it looks too simple to protect, patent it anyway. On that note: did you know there were lawsuits over the scrunchie? The SCRUNCHIE! Yep, there was a patent on it. So remember: 

Some of the most lasting ideas aren’t flashy. They just quietly fix things, and then quietly succeed.