The concept suggests a pragmatic approach to system design, advocating for the minimum level of planning and structure necessary to meet current and anticipated needs. This approach contrasts with both overly rigid, complex architectures and completely ad-hoc development lacking a cohesive framework. An example might be selecting a simple, well-defined API for inter-service communication instead of building a custom, convoluted system if the existing API adequately fulfills requirements.
This philosophy emphasizes agility and adaptability. It enables teams to respond quickly to changing business demands and technological advancements without being burdened by excessive upfront investment in infrastructure that may become obsolete. Historically, projects have suffered from both over-engineering, leading to delays and increased costs, and under-engineering, resulting in instability and maintainability issues. This balanced approach seeks to mitigate these risks.
