About

What is Simplify and Optimize?
Simplify and Optimize is an attempt to process the world in order to to find new ideas and new ways to make life better. My particular interests include but are not limited to:

  • marketing & advertising
  • technology
  • social media
  • life-hacking
  • personal finance

I want to share big-picture ideas – my own and those of people I respect, but I also want to share small tips and tricks that help keep us focused on that bigger picture. Simplify and Optimize asks: How can I take the information in the world, process it, and make it work to my advantage?

Where did the name come from?
In computer science, “simplify and optimize” describes a method to a solution that is resource-efficient without unnecessary complication. This paradigm has a good parallel in life and also happens to be a nice turn of phrase.

Who are you?
I’m Madeline Sall, a current senior at Brown University studying Music History, Theory, and Composition. I’ve always been on a quest for knowledge, and more recently, I’ve been interested in documenting my search for better life solutions.
Madeline Sall, author of Simplify and Optimize

My feed reader rivals the Library of Congress, and I genuinely enjoy trying new ideas, products, and systems. As a product adopter, I sit somewhere between the Early Adopter and Early Majority categories, which puts me in a good position to look at the long-term impact of the new idea/product/system in question.

All opinions here are my own, and I don’t claim to be a certified expert in any of the subjects I may discuss. Take my opinions with a grain of salt (like everything else on the internet).

Four random facts about me:
My favorite activity: taking long, aimless walks
Weirdest ice cream flavor I’ve ever eaten: cucumber [quite tasty, actually]
Number of hair accessories I currently own: >30
Number of times I was in an elevator with former Presidential candidate John Kerry: 1 [but I didn’t say anything to him]

Find me on Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy what you find here!

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