The Power of Analogies: Bridging the Gap Between Complexity and Understanding

I've always been a strong believer in the power of analogies. Over the years, I’ve developed a reputation for using them in meetings and discussions to connect with my audience and convey complex or technical ideas in a way that everyone can understand.

There’s a unique satisfaction in knowing that the other person not only understands what you're saying but also aligns with your perspective—or perhaps even offers a contradictory opinion that leads to mutual learning.

In our daily interactions with diverse groups of people, especially when trying to influence, drive change, or rally support for an idea, it's crucial to meet people where they are. This means simplifying complex concepts and making them accessible, so others can join you on the journey.

Why Analogies Matter

Analogies are the secret sauce for making complex ideas accessible to everyone. They create those "lightbulb moments" by illustrating abstract concepts with familiar examples. Humans naturally understand new information by connecting it to their past experiences. When someone grasps an idea through an analogy, you create a bond, turning that idea into something they can own and act upon.

I firmly believe in "bringing the ladder down" to help people climb up—using analogies to elevate understanding.

Some of My favorite Analogies:

Data Streams vs. Data at Rest: Explaining what I do to my wife, who works in the arts and design industry, required some creativity. I compared data streaming and processing to a conversation between two people. When we talk, your spoken words are like data in motion (streaming); you process them in real-time to understand and respond. Later, in a quiet moment, we reflect on that conversation by connecting it with past experiences—much like analyzing large sets of historical data to arrive at new idea(insight). The conversation represents real-time data streaming, while the reflection process mirrors big data analysis.

Data Products: From Raw to Ready At Amadeus, we generate enormous amounts of operational data across various business lines like airlines, airports, and hotels. To help our customers, we don't just hand them raw data; we deliver ready-to-use data products. Recently, while discussing with our legal team who was helping us on contracts, I compared this to delivering a pizza rather than just the ingredients. Instead of giving customers tomatoes and flour and asking them to do the hard work, we provide a ready-made solution that they can immediately use—no extra effort required.

Platform Capability vs. Commercial Product During our platform transformation at Amadeus, there was some confusion about the difference between platform capabilities and commercial products. I explained it by comparing platform teams to glass bottle manufacturers. We ensure that the glass bottles are manufactured in the right shape and size for optimal delivery and consumption by each business area we serve, but we don’t sell the bottles directly to customers. Instead, we hand them over to business teams, who then fill them with Pepsi, Fanta, or any other product and commercialize them in the market for profit and value.

What is Strategy? I’ll be honest—this analogy isn’t my own, but I loved it so much that I had to share it. It’s from Roger Martin on Lenny’s podcast, and it perfectly encapsulates the essence of strategy. If someone asks you what you want for lunch, that's a choice. But if your goal is to become fit and healthy, then every meal you choose—from breakfast to lunch to dinner—should align with that objective. Strategy isn’t just about isolated decisions; it’s about making a series of deliberate choices that collectively guide you toward your desired outcome. Vision is where we want to be, and strategy is the path we choose to get there.

Delivering a Cohesive Experience Across Platforms In my recent work on data sharing capabilities, I needed to explain why it was essential to offer our data products across various platforms. I used the analogy of Netflix content. People love the "Stranger Things" series, but they consume it in different ways—on the bus, in their living room, or during a Zoom call at work. Limiting the experience to just one platform, like an iPhone or a browser, wouldn’t capture the full audience. Similarly, our data products need to be available across multiple data and analytics platforms to ensure a seamless customer experience, no matter where they are.

These are just a few examples of how I use analogies to lighten conversations, simplify complex ideas, and share them effectively. They’ve proven to be powerful tools in making connections, fostering understanding, and driving change.

Do you have any favorite analogies that you use to explain complex ideas? I’d love to hear them!

Inspiration References

• Creative Communication: How Our Design Choices Illustrate Our Values | Stanford Graduate School of Business
• 5 essential questions to craft a winning strategy | Roger Martin (author, advisor, speaker) (lennysnewsletter.com)
• Going Back to Basics in Technology - Scott Hanselman | Insights Tomorrow – Microsoft Podcasts