Our Story

Collaboration Simplified was started in 2020 by Shervin Shaffie with a simple conviction: technical knowledge shouldn’t be confined to conference rooms.

At the time, Shervin was a Technical Solutions Architect (TSA) at Cisco, focused on Cisco Collaboration technologies. In customer meetings, he regularly walked through architectures, strategies, and technical deep dives that were insightful, practical, and entirely shareable.

Yet those conversations stayed in the room.

If the information was valuable — and not confidential — why should only a handful of people benefit from it?

So in September 2020, the first Collaboration Simplified video was published: “What is Cisco Collaboration?”

The name reflected both his role and his mindset. As a Collaboration TSA, Shervin spent his days helping organizations understand complex systems. But more importantly, he enjoyed connecting the dots — taking layered, technical concepts and breaking them down into something clear, practical, and easy to grasp.

And while technical documentation exists everywhere, too often, important ideas are wrapped in unnecessary complexity and written for experts rather than learners.

Collaboration Simplified was built on a different belief: Technology shouldn’t require translation by insiders. It should make sense.

As an engineer working in technical sales, Shervin operated between deep technical detail and real-world business impact. That intersection became the foundation of the platform — explaining not just how technology works, but why it matters and how to apply it in practical environments.

Over time, the platform grew.

What began as one person sharing publicly available insights evolved into a broader community centered on open education, collaboration, and continuous learning. Collaboration Simplified is now a growing ecosystem of professionals, technologists, and curious learners exchanging ideas and improving together.

The technologies have evolved. The focus has expanded beyond Cisco into modern work, AI, and intelligent automation. New voices, new conversations, and new collaborations continue to shape its direction.

But the mission has remained consistent.

• Make complex technology understandable

• Connect the dots

• Simplify what feels overwhelming

• Keep education open and accessible to all

As innovation accelerates, clarity becomes more valuable than ever. Collaboration Simplified will continue breaking down what’s new, what matters, and how to apply it — while learning alongside the community it serves.

The tools will change. The mission won’t.