The Temptation
Every engineer has felt it: the pull to add Kubernetes when a single server would do, to use microservices when a monolith is the right answer, to reach for a message queue when a simple function call works.
Complexity Has a Cost
Every abstraction layer adds cognitive overhead, operational burden, and potential failure points. The question is never "can we add this?" but "does the benefit justify the cost?"
My Rule of Three
Do not abstract until you have three concrete instances of a pattern. Premature abstraction creates structures that serve hypothetical futures rather than actual needs.
Real-World Examples
The ISKCON Mayapur web platform started as a Next.js monolith with PostgreSQL. No microservices. No message queues. No event sourcing. It serves thousands of users reliably because simplicity breeds reliability.
The Spiritual Parallel
In devotional life, simplicity is a virtue. Simple living, high thinking. The same principle applies to engineering: simple systems, deep reliability.