Simplifying Things: Why Simple Wins Every Time

Hi there! I'm Maneshwar. Right now, I’m building LiveAPI, a first of its kind tool for helping you automatically index API endpoints across all your repositories. LiveAPI helps you discover, understand, and use APIs in large tech infrastructures with ease.

---

“Simplicity is a prerequisite for reliability.” – Edsger W. Dijkstra

Ever built something and later realized you made it more complicated than it needed to be?

Yeah, same.

As tech folks, engineers, architects, we often celebrate cleverness, complexity, and the “wow” factor of our solutions.

But here's the thing: the best solutions are rarely the most complex.

They’re the ones that are simple, solid, and sustainable.

The Power of Simplicity

In the rush to solve hard problems, simplicity often takes the backseat.

But if there’s one principle that always holds up, it’s this:

The simpler the system, the easier it is to build, explain, evolve, and trust.

Simple architectures:

• Are easier to document and share
• Have fewer moving parts (read: fewer bugs)
• Are cheaper to maintain
• Scale better
• Make onboarding smoother for new team members
• Actually work in production

And yet… simplicity is hard.

Why Do We Make Things Complex?

Before we get to how to simplify, let’s look at why complexity creeps in.

1. Complexity Sells

Whether we admit it or not, people equate complex with powerful.
Complex diagrams? Must be genius.
A million microservices? Wow, cutting-edge!
But in reality, complexity is often smoke and mirrors used to justify budgets, show off, or just cover up a lack of clarity.

2. Complexity Is Fun

Let’s be honest. Solving gnarly problems in clever ways can feel amazing.
There’s joy in building something intricate.
But fun doesn’t always equal useful.
The real win is building something that just works, and works well.

3. We Want to Keep Up

Shiny new tools, libraries, and frameworks show up weekly.
There’s pressure to stay “modern.”
But adding a new tool without understanding its tradeoffs often leads to tech soup.
Use new things, sure—but do it for the right reasons.

4. Simple Is Hard

Creating something simple takes effort.
It demands clarity, restraint, and a deep understanding of the problem.
Anyone can add; it takes a real pro to subtract.

5. Conway’s Law in Action

Your system often ends up mirroring your org structure.
If communication is messy, expect your architecture to be the same.

So How Do We Simplify?

Glad you asked. Here's a toolbox to help you build simpler solutions, without dumbing things down.

1. Shake the Box

Look at your solution from multiple angles. Question everything:

• Do I really need this service?
• What’s the simplest thing that could work?
• Can this be a function instead of a microservice?

Apply Occam’s Razor: the simplest solution that meets the requirements is often the best.

2. Break It Down (and Build It Back)

Use the good ol’ divide and conquer.
Break a big problem into smaller pieces.
Solve and validate each part.
Then integrate and test the whole.
Think LEGO, not cement.

3. Apply YAGNI Like a Pro

You Ain’t Gonna Need It.
That future feature you’re designing for? Might never happen. Don’t build it yet. Focus on the now.
But leave enough room to add it easily if needed later.

4. Avoid Premature Abstraction

Don’t over abstract from day one.
Start with concrete implementations.
Let patterns emerge naturally.
Extract interfaces once you’ve seen at least 2–3 real use cases.

“The best abstractions are harvested, not invented.” – ThoughtWorks

5. Practice Parsimony

Think like a minimalist.
Don’t throw in tech, tools, or services unless they really add value.
Every extra piece is another thing to manage, break, and explain.

6. Take a Step Back

After intense problem-solving, zoom out.
Let ideas settle.
Go for a walk.
Review the big picture.
Simplify and refactor.
Great design often comes after the initial solution.

7. Refactor Ruthlessly

Once things are working, clean them up.
Improve names, remove cruft, flatten layers, collapse unnecessary abstractions.
Refactoring is where simplicity often gets baked in.

But: refactor safely. You need solid tests and stakeholder buy-in to pull this off confidently.

Simplicity in Architecture

Simplicity isn’t just about code. It’s about architecture too.

So, what is “Simple Architecture”?

It’s not just about using fewer services or drawing cleaner diagrams. It’s about designing systems that:

• Meet business needs without overengineering
• Are easy to explain and reason about
• Let teams move fast without tripping over each other
• Evolve gracefully

Simple architectures aren’t always obvious upfront. They emerge through iteration, learning, and—yes—refactoring.

Practices That Help

Here are some habits and principles that’ll help you stay on the simple side:

• Design Just Enough Up Front: Don’t plan every detail, but set a clear direction. Planning isn’t about locking things in—it’s about aligning teams.
• Design Continuously: Keep refining as you build. Stay agile. Simplify along the way.
• Use the C4 Model or similar: Visuals help, but don’t overcomplicate your models. Keep them as simple as the system allows.
• Embrace Agile Principles: Simplicity is one of XP’s core values. Build the simplest thing that works. Then improve it.
• Make Decisions Reversible When Possible: Favor choices you can back out of easily. It keeps the cost of change low and reduces the pressure to "get it perfect" up front.

Final Thoughts

Simple isn’t the same as easy. But simple is better.

It takes effort, maturity, and clarity to arrive at simple solutions.

It means saying “no” to the cool new tool sometimes.

It means asking “why” more than “how.”

But when you get there—when your team can understand, evolve, and trust the system you’ve built—that’s when you know you nailed it.

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” – Often attributed to Einstein

Want to simplify your architecture?

Start by simplifying your mindset.

The rest will follow.

---

LiveAPI helps you get all your backend APIs documented in a few minutes

With LiveAPI, you can quickly generate interactive API documentation that allows users to search and execute APIs directly from the browser.

If you’re tired of manually creating docs for your APIs, this tool might just make your life easier.