Simple Matters

High-Level Overview

Simple Matters is a mobile technology company founded in 2012 in Santa Monica, California, specializing in consumer electronics that deliver simple, elegant solutions to everyday problems.[1][2] The company developed Ditto, a clip-on wearable smartphone notification device that alerts users to calls, texts, messages, or other notifications from iOS and Android phones without needing charging, wires, or buttons, serving consumers seeking discreet, hands-free alerts up to 50-100 feet away.[1][4] Ditto solves the problem of missing phone notifications in situations like meetings or driving by vibrating for customizable alerts, favorites filtering, alarms, timers, and an electronic leash to prevent leaving the phone behind, with early promotion at CES 2016 highlighting new apps and uses.[3][4]

The small team of about 3 employees, including world-class product developers from consumer electronics, focused on high-quality wearables like Ditto, but public records show limited activity post-2016, suggesting modest growth momentum constrained by the nascent wearable tech market.[1]

Origin Story

Simple Matters was founded in 2012 by technology strategist Marc Guren (Co-founder, CEO responsible for strategy, operations, and finances) and inventor Bob Olodort in Santa Monica, California.[1][2][5] Guren brought venture capital and CEO experience, while Olodort contributed invention expertise; Neal Pecchenino, with Belkin product background, later joined the team.[4][5] The idea emerged from a mission to create new product categories addressing everyday frustrations, leading to Ditto as their flagship—a "clip-on" reminder device born from the philosophy that "simple matters."[1][3] Early traction included CES 2016 announcements for expanded Ditto apps, marking a pivotal market push in the growing wearable notification space.[3]

Core Differentiators

• No-charge, wire-free design: Ditto operates without batteries, charging, wires, or buttons, enabling effortless 50-100 foot range notifications via vibration.[1][4]
• Customization and filtering: Users tailor alerts for calls, texts, favorites, alarms, timers, and an electronic leash to avoid forgetting phones.[4]
• Universal compatibility: Works with both iOS and Android smartphones, broadening accessibility in consumer wearables.[4]
• Elegant simplicity: Focuses on high-quality, market-ready products from experienced developers in consumer electronics, emphasizing "simple and elegant solutions."[1][3]
• Developer and manufacturing expertise: Assembled team with decades of experience in bringing wearables like Ditto to market.[1]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Simple Matters rode the early 2010s wearable tech trend, coinciding with smartphone notification overload and the rise of devices like smartwatches, but differentiated via ultra-simple, non-intrusive alternatives.[1][4] Timing mattered as mobile alerts proliferated post-iPhone era, with market forces like consumer demand for hands-free, battery-free options favoring Ditto amid CES hype in 2016.[3] The company influenced the ecosystem by pioneering notification wearables, inspiring later clip-on and haptic tech, though its small scale limited broader impact in a field dominated by giants like Apple and Fitbit.[1]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Simple Matters exemplified early innovation in notification wearables, but stagnant post-2016 visibility suggests acquisition, pivot, or dormancy in a matured market now favoring integrated smartwatches and AI-driven alerts.[1] Next steps could involve reviving Ditto for modern IoT ecosystems or licensing tech amid rising haptic feedback trends in AR/VR and health wearables. As simple, seamless tech gains traction against complex gadgets, Simple Matters' philosophy positions it—or its IP—for resurgence, echoing its founding mantra that simple matters in an increasingly cluttered tech landscape.[1][3]