Carl Richard is a believer in The KISS Principle. He spends his time providing financial education by explaining complex strategies and terms using simple, easy to understand diagrams. You can find examples in his weekly “Sketch Guy” column in The New York Times and his book “The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money.”

Recently he provided an excellent diagram – a welcome reminder that the plan drives the process which drives the product. Too many of us get this backwards. Why? Big Media wants to focus on new products or market moves. They buy us with what they sell. It’s unconscionable and sickening and if we’re honest with ourselves we often fall victim. How many times have we started a conversation with, “Is an index fund better than an actively managed fund?” instead of, “What do I want to accomplish?”

To support his point he provides a simple and effective analogy:

“Until you decide where you want to go (the plan), how can you decide if you need to take a plane, a train or an automobile (the product)? In between, you’ll review travel details (the process), like how long you plan to be gone. But it’s only after these two important decisions are made that people have enough information to get specific about the product.”

What’s the value of an advisor? We’re not picking products. We’re helping people understand where they want to go and the best way to get there. Absent such guidance people too often choose random and opposing products. Lacking a plan and not understanding the process it’s tough to see how such random product-picking will help achieve goals.